


Killer Love

by Lilmissharleyquinn



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Autopsies, Blood and Gore, Blood and Torture, Blood and Violence, Cannibalism, Explicit Sexual Content, Graphic Description, Graphic Description of Corpses, M/M, Murder, Obsession, Sexual Content, Stalking, Top Yagami Light, Torture, Violence, mentions of drug abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-01-31 09:27:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 75,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21443968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilmissharleyquinn/pseuds/Lilmissharleyquinn
Summary: ⚠️This will contain graphic murder, violence, torture, blood, gore, autopsies, cannibalism, brief mention of drug abuse and addiction, and sex scenes⚠️ 18+ onlyL lives a lonely life as a medical examiner for the police. It's not as exciting as it sounds when he lives in a small town.Until two murder victims are found brutally butchered, but the death toll doesn't end there. With each body that comes to his table, the killer becomes more sadistic and brutal, and it seems like they're doing it for L.Meanwhile, his boss insists that L go to a deli to meet a handsome man that works there, Light. He seems perfect; handsome, polite, kind, helpful, witty. He's got everyone charmed, including L, but Light becomes obsessed with L, and quickly learns that L is working with the police investigating his murders to catch him.No, that won't do. That won't do at all. He has different plans.
Relationships: L/Yagami Light
Comments: 265
Kudos: 232





	1. Two Kills and a Cat

"L? How long have you been here?"

A dark, messy haired young man looked to the person who had entered the morgue. "I'm not sure, honestly." He mumbled as he watched his supervisor walk around the sterile room and pull on her lab coat.

"Well judging by those dark circles under your eyes, too long."

"You know I've always had those, Carol." L tried to subtly rub his tired eyes before his boss could turn around and see. "Is Arma coming in today?" He asked as he began to bite the tip of his thumb.

"We're going to need all hands-on deck today, so go wash and glove up." the older woman explained, shooing the young man over to the sink.

"Important case, then?" L questioned as he scrubbed.

"Very. You don't know what happened, do you?" The woman's sharp eyes looked L up and down, taking in his disheveled and tired appearance before she softly shook her head. "You've been in here since last night, haven't you?"

"I couldn't sleep," L commented as he pulled on his medical gloves, "thought I'd get some work done."

"Mmhmm," Carol skeptically hummed. She had known L for years, surely, she would be used to his odd work habits by now. "Anyway, Arma is just collecting the body now. Apparently, there was no ID and since it was just inside county lines, it's our job to make one, determine cause of death, and the police will handle it from there."

L cocked an eyebrow, ready to ask why the police were involved when handling the dead wasn’t usually in their job description when the double doors to the alley were pushed open by three people. Two of them wearing black jackets with the official symbol of the coroner’s office on the sleeves, marking them as the dieners, a young woman with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail following in behind them and making a beeline to collect her own tools.

As Carol spoke with the dieners, L looked to the metal doors that they had come in through, the slim window allowing him to see the coroner's plain, unmarked van just beyond them, and a cop car, making it no surprise when an officer enters and dismisses the two coroner assistants to set the body on the table scale after Carol finishes talking to them, the blonde woman writing down the weight displayed on the scale before the body was moved to the autopsy table. The dieners then briefly spoke to Carol, about what L didn’t know or care, as the blonde woman quickly settled her own tools on a small wheeled table off to the side, turned on the surgical light overhead and hurried to wash her hands and put on the gloves.

"Did you tell him, mom?" She asks as she scrubs her fingers.

"Arma." Carol’s voice held warning for her daughter.

"Tell me what?" L questions.

"It’s a very unsettling sight," the cop says as he walks up just out of L's reach, "there’s clearly foul play involved, but we need you to do a complete autopsy and make an ID before we can continue anything.”

"Of course," Carol assured the cop, "we will find it and get the report to you as soon as possible, Charlie."

"Speaking of, why are you here?" L looked to the uniformed man, ignoring the chastising hiss of his name from his boss.

"We figured it would be best to warn you. It’s very," Charlie paused for a moment, no doubt trying to think of the right word, "gruesome."

"I assure you; my team and I can handle it. We'll get back to you when we can." Carol kindly dismissed the officer as her daughter walked up to join them at the table with her clipboard and pen ready for notes, tape recorder set just far away enough that it wouldn’t compromise anything but would be able to easily pick up what L and Carol noted out loud.

Charlie just nodded and then left the same way he came in, the coroner assistants standing off to the side quietly.

"Okay, here we go." The older woman carefully broke the seals of the bag. “Arma," Carol nodded for her daughter to take the necessary picture for the report

The bright flash did nothing to help L’s burning eyes. he was starting to think Carol was right and he would need to try harder to sleep tonight.

"The date is November twentieth, two thousand and eighteen. The time is ten O’clock, ante meridiem.” L announced to the recorder, Arma scribbling it down on her paper.

“Mark, Jeremey, if you’ll please.” Carol, Arma, and L backed up so the dieners could remove the body bag and the smaller bags around the dirt covered hands. Arma collected some samples of dirt and grass from under the girl’s nails, palms, and legs, collected a fingernail sample, and noted them out loud for the recorder and quickly wrote it down on the clipboard.

“The victim is wearing a tee shirt and jean shorts, both have dirt on them, and a pair of sandals. The shirt is bloody, though there are no tears to suggest stabbing, and appears to have been straightened out after the attack, but no other signs of disturbance are present.” L hated having to note what the people on his table were wearing. It was boring, but he had to since after the clothing is removed for the examination, any evidence they may have had could no longer be recorded. The blonde then handed Mark and Jeremy two sets of scissors to remove the clothing, both making strange faces as the shirt was removed, revealing wounds they hadn’t been expecting. Arma then collected the items in an evidence bag and setting it aside as the men excused themselves to get water.

"Victim is Caucasian, female, roughly twenty to twenty-three years old. " L observed aloud for Arma's notes, “hair is medium length brown, eyes" L pulled the closed eyelid open, "are rolled back in the head,” L noted as he reached for the tool necessary for moving the eye to check for the color. “Eye is brown, the cornea is cloudy, so she’s been dead for at least two hours. There are signs of subconjunctival hemorrhages." He let the eyelid close before moving on checking the throat neck for bruising but paused when he saw that the chest cavity was open. The chest was cut with a Y incision, though not professional by the looks of it, and some of the skin looked to be torn away, leaving it open to the world. The look of shock of Carol and Arma's faces told him that they hadn't been expecting this, and he couldn't blame them. Yes, their jobs were to, quite frankly, dig inside dead bodies, they saw things that weren’t meant to be seen, but it was probably the way the cut seemed so professional that made them unsettled. He had thought of making a joke that the killer had made it easier for them to make the Y incision in attempt to lighten the mood but thought better of it.

He also couldn’t blame them for their shock; he hadn’t expected this wound either.

"Um, yes, continue.” Carol shook off her surprise and refocused on the task at hand.

“Height is five foot five, roughly one hundred and twenty-five pounds. There is prominent bruising around the neck, likely cause of death is strangulation.” L pointed out to Carol, who proceeded to try to find fingerprints on the bruises but found nothing. After she noted the lack of prints, L took a set of Toothed Forceps and looked closer to some of the skin. “The wound is clean with no tearing, suggesting a blade. But parts do appear to have been torn away, possibly by an animal, though judging by coloration it appears it was done very shortly postmortem."

"So, should we warn animal control to be on the lookout for an animal with blood stains around its mouth?" Arma asked.

"Obviously." L nodded, moving on, lifting the arm closest to him and carefully turning and examining the limb. “There are thirty deep cuts along the forearms, indicating a self-defensive position, some reaching bone.”

After Carol noted some scrapes, bruises and minor shallow cuts on the legs, most likely from running and falling, L collected the rib shears and looked to the main wound in the chest. “Before we continue, let the notes show that ribs number four to ten, particularly the costal cartilage and floating ribs, are already broken, appearing to have punctured the lungs, liver, and spleen.”

After Arma nodded that she had the note down, L continued, removing the obstructing bones and setting them aside on a sterile table, before picking up the retractor and holding the skin away as Carol worked.

"Parts of the stomach, and spleen are missing, appearing to also be cut based on the smooth lacerations on what is left of the ureter, along renal artery and vein. The left kidney is unaccounted for."

"So, someone took the kidney?" Arma commented. "Maybe some kind of black-market murder?"

"Possible," Carol nodded, "but that doesn't count for parts of the other organs or skin being taken. Just in case, write that down as a side note. L, continue."

“Almost all of the lumbar and sacral nerves are gone. Tearing suggests these were torn away rather than cut…”

Two days after concluding the autopsy on the Jane Doe they had yet to identify, and two days of the homicide unit asking if they had the report ready, and two days of L saying no as they had to run a few samples from the tissue, L had arrived to work before the sun even rose, getting a scornful look from Carol when she entered through the double doors with officer Charlie.

“She said we would have our report to you as soon as we could get it to you,” L annoyedly told the officer, an uninterested, tired tone always present in his voice, “we just need to make a copy for you and then we will send it your way.”

“L, that’s rude.” Carol scolded, “and that’s not why he’s here.” She gave the officer an apologetic look like L was her unruly child, Arma walking by her mother, clipboard in hand. L watched as the same two dieners from the other day wheeled in a sheet covered body, carefully setting it on the metal table illuminated by the surgical light overhead.

“We found another body.” Charlie watched as L washes his hands, an unamused scowl on his face.

“I can see that.” L nodded, pulling on a pair of gloves and taking his spot beside his boss. Arma shoved her elbow into his side, her bright eyes meeting black as she gave him a warning glare.

“We think this one and the Jane Doe were somehow related.” Charlie nearly growled, his jaw clenched so tightly L could see a vein pulsing in his thick neck.

“We will find out then, won’t we?”

Carol rolled her eyes like she could tell L was getting impatient with the cop being in what he considered his domain. “As you were saying, Officer Richards,” She gestured for him to continue.

“We found him outside of town a couple of days ago, like the Jane Doe, but only because a colleague of mine was walking one of the cadaver dogs.”

“If you found him two days ago why are we just now receiving the body?” L questioned.

“It takes us a while to dig up a six-foot-deep hole and do it carefully, so we don’t compromise anything. Then we found a buried animal. We were about to mark it a false positive, but the dog kept barking after health control came to collect it.” Charlie hissed, “Then it took us a little longer to dig another foot down and find the victim, and we had to sweep the area for more remains and evidence.”

“Did you find any?” Arma smacked L’s shoulder with her clipboard as she glared at him.

“No,” the officer barely held back his urge to yell at the dark-haired young man, “now please, just find what you can about this victim.”

L gave a dismissive nod, willing the nuisance away as he went through the routine of noting the date and time of the autopsy for Arma’s notes. “November twenty-second, two thousand and eighteen. The time is one-thirty-six, post Meridiem.” As Arma filled the notes, L pulled the sheet away, trying to ignore the cop that didn’t realize he was no longer needed as Arma took the photograph of the body.

The normal procedure happened, the dieners took the bag away, L recorded the man’s clothing. The parts that made his brain numb with boredom always took the longest, it seemed.

“The throat is slit, severing the jugular vein, likely cause of death.” Carol observed as she examined the severed skin along the gash around the neck. “Clean laceration too.”

“The blades of grass sticking to the face and knees would suggest that he was on his knees in the dirt as his throat was cut. When he fell forward after quickly bleeding out, his face landed to the right side.” L explained before returning to the regular procedure for Arma’s notes. “Victim is Caucasian, male, late twenties to early thirties, hair is dirty blond and short. Eyes-” L pulled the eyelid open to check for the color of the iris but paused when an empty socket greeted him and quickly checked the other eyelid. “_Eye_ is rolled back in the head. The left eye is unaccounted for.” L noted as he reached for the tool necessary for moving the eye to check for the color. “Eye is blue, and the cornea is clouded.”

After Arma nodded as she finished the notes and looked to L and her mother to continue.

“No, wounds or signs of struggle on the front…” L glanced to Charlie as if he could give some explanation.

“It’s the back that makes us think this young man and Jane Doe are related.”

After careful maneuvering to turn the body face down, L noticed Charlie wince when the back was revealed.

“The back of the torso has large portions of skin and muscle removed, smooth cuts suggesting a large blade. Note that all twelve of the thoracic and top three of the lumbar vertebrae are visible...”

It was nearly dark by the time they got done with the autopsy.

L insisted he could stay later and write up what they had so far, knowing he wouldn't get to sleep anyway, but Carol wouldn't allow it.

Arma was the first to go, leaving her mother and L to close.

L was about to finish sanitizing the tools when Carol bumped her hip into his.

"How long were you here?" She asked.

"I got in around five." L shyly admitted. “I couldn’t sleep.”

The brunette sighed and crossed her arms. "And your first instinct was to come to work?"

"Gives me something to do. I've done this for years, why are you suddenly concerned?"

"Because it seems like you don't go anywhere besides your house and here."

"That's not true."

"You even get your groceries delivered, L. Don't you want a boyfriend or something?" Carol questioned.

L stiffened, feeling like he was a child about to be scolded. He hated this conversation.

"There's a guy that started working at Pop's deli a few months ago, Light. you'd know that if you ever left your house," she continued, "Arma says he's real handsome, and I have to agree." She swooned, a soft smile gracing her lips. "He's got this beautiful brown hair, and gorgeous hazel eyes, a sharp jaw, and beneath that apron are some damn fine muscles."

_What a weird name. _"It's statistically unlikely that he's attracted to men," L commented, hoping it would end the conversation. 

"I'm just saying go check him out. He seems like a nice person. He even brought over cookies for me and Arma when he introduced himself to us. Homemade ones, too."

"If I go to see him at some point will this conversation end?" L groaned.

“Only if you do it tomorrow after work.”

L reluctantly agreed before driving home. Even though he was now alone in his car, he couldn’t help but still feel that uncomfortable feeling just beneath his skin. It felt weird whenever Carol tried to talk to him about his love life. He’s pretty sure even his parents didn’t know his orientation before they passed away, but when Carol tried to encourage him to go out, it felt like a mom trying to set her child to find a romantic partner.

L couldn’t help but wonder if Arma even knew. The blonde was only a few years older than him, but it felt odd when he thought of just telling her his orientation. L only told Carol because it had come up in conversation when she had first tried setting him up with a girl.

Pulling in to his driveway, L quickly walked up the steps and let himself inside, toeing off his shoes as he entered and locked the door behind him out of habit, Carol’s voice still demanding he go to the deli in the morning and try to socialize with some stranger he had only a vague description of, just to get her off his back about his single status.

Even so, what was wrong with him being alone? He wasn’t entirely alone, anyway. He had someone at home waiting on him, even if it was just for food.

“Hey, Mochi,” L greeted the feline that watched him lazily from the staircase, reaching up to give the animal an affectionate scratch, receiving a pleased purr in exchange before continuing to the kitchen, the cream and brown animal jumping down from its spot and following.

“Ready for dinner, buddy? I was thinking strawberry cake.”

The look of pleasant surprise didn’t go unnoticed by L as he walked into work _after_ Carol had already arrived the next day.

“Finally got some sleep?” she smirked as L sat down at the desk opposite hers. L only nodded as he brushed his messy black hair out of his eyes. “Your eyes look better.” Carol commented, clearly trying to get a reaction out of him. L looked across his computer screen to her, his eyebrow cocked in disbelief. He knew the dark circles under his even darker eyes never looked better, no matter how much sleep he got. They’d been there since he was a kid, no need to try and deny it that he always looked tired.

“You know how I feel about empty compliments.” he reminded her as he pulled up his work email, his thumb securely bitten between his teeth.

“Just wanted to give you a confidence boost before your plans after work later.”

“Is Arma going to be in today?” L tried to dodge the subject.

“L.” Carol’s voice held a warning against trying to avoid her. It mad him feel like she was a mother trying to give her kid a chance to tell the truth when she knew they were lying. Probably something she had to do with Arma when she was little.

“I said I’d go, and I will. I just want to keep personal topics out of my work. Speaking of,” he dragged his long, nimble fingers over the touch pad of his laptop, “I have an email from the police about our first victim.”

“What does it say?” Carol stared expectantly to the slim figure that curled in on his chair.

“Well they were able to find out Jane Doe’s identity.Name was Sarah Clarks. Her family had reported her missing after she failed to come back from the college that she was attending a few cities over.” L skimmed over the email, a bland tone in his voice.

“Poor girl. She was about Arma’s age, wasn’t she? And only a couple of years older than you?” Carol signed. L tensed at the tightness in his boss’s voice. He hated the way it sounded, the way it was close to breaking.

L shifted in his seat, pulling his feet up to rest on the edge of the chair he occupied as he shrugged at Carol’s question, mumbling that he guessed the girl had been about Arma’s age. “Did you get anything back about our John Doe? Charlie said anything about the investigation?” he looked back down to his keyboard, pressing the keys just to sound like he was typing something.

“_Officer Daniels_,” the older woman corrected, “is contacting the stations of the surrounding counties about if they’ve had any similar deaths. There’re a few missing persons cases but it’s not much to go on, especially considering none of the missing people, John Doe, or Sarah have anything in common. All different ages, races, sexes. If it’s the same guy, he’s picking victim’s randomly.”

L nodded. It was a smarter idea for a killer to pick random people with seemingly nothing in common, rather than establish a pattern or type. Of course he couldn’t confirm that the missing people were dead, let alone murdered by the same guy who had sent two bodies to his table, but he could form his own theories for now, and if he noticed anything in common he could bring it up to the detectives working the cases.

L nodded and rubbed his burning eyes. What little sleep he managed usually kept him going for a few days, though it could also have something to do with his diet. Speaking of…

L reached into the drawer of his metal desk, reached into a large bag of variety candies and pulled out a sucker, quickly popping it into his mouth.

“L, it’s not even nine o’clock yet.” Carol chastised.

“Oh, I’m sorry did you want one?” L reached to grab a candy for his boss but paused when he felt her eyes burning on his outstretched hand. “What?” L cocked his head to the side.

Carol sighed, shaking her head and held out her hand. “Tootsie pop, please.”

As L began to pull on his coat to go home, he paused when he noticed the look Carol was giving him.

“Uh, hi?” He questioned as he pulled on the warm garment.

“Pop’s Deli. Don’t forget, you promised to meet Light.”

L sighed with a nod as he left the building, regretting ever giving in to Carol. Sure, she meant well but he didn’t see the problem with being single. He liked it that way.

Walking in the crisp chill of the early setting sun, L started to wonder about what made this new deli worker so special to make even his boss swoon. Even if he was as attractive and nice as she said he was, that doesn’t make a personality. The growling of his stomach as he walked made L sigh. Mochi would probably be hungry when he got home, and the poor cat had been left alone more recently. Usually when he couldn’t sleep, L would just respond to work emails or just stay home, but with the murders recently, he’d been leaving the cat alone before the sun even rose until well after it set. Maybe the feline would appreciate a treat?

_Kill two birds with one stone. Go to the deli, get Carol off my back and get some liver for Mochi._

Taking a detour, L turned around and made his way through the empty sidewalk, passing by the various shops that made up downtown, ignoring the creeping chill that threatened to rattle his lithe frame as he scuffed his feet along the sidewalk, getting closer to the deli, spotting a form that appeared to be locking the door.

“Oh, I’m sorry sir, but we just closed.” An unfamiliar young man turned to him.

L took a moment to examine the new face; _male, Japanese, six foot three inches, large frame, one hundred and ninety-six to two hundred pounds, aged twenty to twenty-three_. Probably the person Carol talked about, but just to be sure.

“Oh, I’m sorry…” L waited for the man to give a name.

“Yagami, Light.” he held out his hand.

“L.” the dark-haired man awkwardly took the offered hand, the brief look of confusion that crossed Light’s face not going unnoticed. Whether it was his unusual appearance or his strange name, L didn’t know, but both were equally possible.

“Pleasure to meet you, L.” Light gave a smile that warmed L against the breeze, “I’m sorry you just missed us, but we’re open tomorrow if you want to stop by.”

“Yes, thank you.” L quickly walked past the imposing figure as his ashen cheeks began to warm, “Have a good night.”

L couldn’t help but notice the strange feeling in his stomach, the unusual bubbling in him as he tried to rationalize why he felt so eager to leave.

It didn’t take long for L to notice that there was an extra set of footsteps following him. Glancing back over his shoulder, Light was following not too far behind. When the man didn’t offer a word, L looked back in front of him, trying to ignore the feeling of eyes on him and the sound of footsteps that seemed to be _trying_ to be casual.

L walked a little faster. _“just to get out of the cold_”, he told himself.

When he noticed the steps behind him seemed to pick up as well, L shivered and waited for a moment to see if they would slow down. When they didn’t, L thought of another reason he needed to walk a little faster.

_Need to get home to feed Mochi._

L tried to move to put some space between him and Light, who was closing the distance between them, and trying to tell himself that the man may just live in this same direction, but when he could feel the man getting closer to him. Despite the frigid air that blew against his face, heat crept up L’s back and a thin sheen of sweat began to cover his face.

Images of Sarah Clarks and the John Doe flashed in his mind, the girls stomach cut open, nerves and organs being torn away. The man’s back skinned and missing muscle, one eye missing from a bloody socket. Unable to fight the urge, L took off running as fast as he could, the world passing by in a blur as he began taking random turns and knocking over trashcans in his wake, heart pounding in his ears deafening everything around him as he ran harder than he ever had in his life.

Finally, seeing his house just a little way away, L pulled his key-ring from his pocket and his shaking fingers tried to work through the mess of nearly identical keys, finally finding the one to unlock to door.

Skipping every other of the small steps that lead to his porch, L shook as he shoved the key into the lock, flinging to door open and slamming his entire body weight back against it to shut it, leaning against the cold surface as his long fingers twisted the lock and deadbolt into place.

Too tired to properly sit, L let himself slide down the surface of the door and panted, his lungs burning like fire as his heart final stopped beating against his eardrums, revealing the eerie silence of his home.

_Ridiculous._ L weakly smiled with a combination of a chuckle and a rapid breath as he wiped his pale brow with his sleeve.

He was fine. Working himself up over nothing. Light probably lived in in the same direction as he guessed earlier. 

A small flash of movement nearly made L jump back to his feet, ready to flee when he heard the soft purring. Reaching out, L gave a tired smile to his furry companion and scratched behind his ear, much to the cat’s delight.

“Hey buddy,” L brought the spoiled animal to his chest, “Papa had a bad night.” When the cat only blinked his dark eyes, L shook his head, his messy black hair swaying over his pale face. “You just want food, huh? I'll get you a treat tomorrow. until then, come on,” L stood up, the cat still in his arms, "I’m not gonna be able to sleep anyway.”


	2. A medical examiner walks into a Deli

L rubbed his heavy eyes with one hand as he kept himself busy with sweeping the floor, feeling Carol stare at him with an expectant look. He guessed she was about to chastise him for his sleeping habits again, and he couldn’t blame her. He looked worse than usual today, even he knew that.  
“So? How did it go?” she finally pushed conversation. Though not the one he had been expecting.  
“How did what go?” L asked as he continued the mindless task he had assigned himself.  
“Your morning crap, what do you think I mean?” she rolled her eyes, “How did you like Light?”  
“He was nice and polite.” L shrugged his narrow shoulders.  
“And?”  
“And that’s not enough to establish a romantic interest.” L walked around her, intending to throw away the dust he pretended to have collected just to get away.  
“Well did you think he was cute?” the older woman followed him, clearly not getting the hint.  
He might have been the closest thing I’ve ever seen to an angel. “He does meet the social standards for attractiveness.”  
“I’ll take that as your weird way of saying yes.” Carol smirked, crossing her arms over her blouse and holding her head high in accomplishment. “Do you think you made a good impression?”  
“Actually, I thought he was trying to kill me and ran away.” L glanced up to gauge Carol’s reaction, greeted with a confused look, her brown eyes squinted like she was glaring but just as quickly as the expression was made, it was gone, replaced with a softer look that he couldn’t quite place.  
“L, are you scared?”  
“I beg your pardon?” L cocked an eyebrow.  
“It’s just with the murder victims and then me pushing you to meet a stranger,” Carol rubbed her temple, softly shaking her head. “I can’t believe I didn’t think that trough.”  
“I’m not scared,” L brushed past his boss, “I just don’t like people.”  
“I know a lie when I hear it, L.” Carol turned with him, “Don’t think my instincts have dulled just because Arma is an adult. A mother knows.” L bit the tip of his thumb as he thought. Yeah, he forgot that Carol was nothing like his own mother had been. “How about I take you out to lunch today? Celebrate that you tried to interact with someone new and to say I’m sorry for not thinking my actions through.”  
L glanced over his shoulder; his coal colored eyes narrowed. “Let me guess, you want to go to the Pop’s deli, and it just so happens Light is working there today.”  
“No,” the older woman softly laughed, “I walked by this morning and he wasn’t there. Would have been a good idea, though. So, what do you say?”  
“I guess I can pick something up for Mochi.” L relented.  
“Well then let’s go.” Carol gave an excited smile and took off her lab coat.

Pop’s Deli was popular, having been open for fifty years. The floor was the usual checkerboard pattern, the walls white and a few black and red tables here and there for people who bought food from the hot plates.  
“It’s kind of busy,” L looked through the windows. “Maybe another time?”  
“It’s three people, one already being served and two are sitting down with their food.” Carol practically pushed L through the door, the high-pitched chime of the bell signaling their arrival to the old man that looked up with a smile.  
“Carol! Nice to see you! Where’s miss Arma?”  
“She’s off work today, but you know she sends her love, Pops.” Carol greeted back just as warmly.  
“She’s such a sweet thing.” The old man nodded before turning to looks at L. “I haven’t seen you in years, little L.”  
L remembered having only been here a handful of times in his entire life, each time he had hidden behind his mother’s dress, and they had all been before he could reach the counter by himself, so had very few memories of this place, but he did have a few. He remembered how the owner everyone called Pop’s looked so much younger back then. His hair had been graying when L was a kid, now it was full on white and his skin significantly wrinkled with age.  
“Hi, Pop’s.” L gave an awkward half wave of his hand.  
“It’s good to see you again, little L. Though I suppose you’ve grown out of that nickname, huh?” Pop’s laughed.  
L knew he wasn’t tall, or heavy set. In fact, he had always been small, mostly due to malnourishment but now wasn’t the time to correct the old gentleman who had glanced at his watch and turned his attention to Carol.  
“I’m sorry, I’d love to catch up, but I have to sign for a drop off in a few minutes, but I’ll have my best employee take care of you both.” Pop’s turned towards the heavy metal door in the back that most likely held the raw meat. “Light!”  
L froze for a second, then turned on his heel and tried to walk past Carol, who immediately grabbed his arm to stop his escape and held it steadfast in her grip.  
“I knew you planned this,” L mumbled.  
“Actually, I didn’t. I really thought he wasn’t in today, but no you get a do-over. If you try to slip away, I’ll have you re-clean the walls in the lab with a toothbrush.”  
L momentarily weighed his options before relenting and turning back around to face the counter, his stomach twisting in a knot when Light took his place behind the counter.  
“Hi, Carol,” he greeted warmly, “what can I do for you?”  
“Oh, I’m not hungry, but L here is. I’ll find a table for us, you order whatever you want, I’ll pay.” The older woman quickly walked away, finding a seat and taking out her phone. L knew she wasn’t playing on the device; she was pretending to so she could watch him. Briefly, L wondered if she did this to Arma as well.  
“Hell-hello,” L briefly hesitated his greeting.  
“Hello again,” Light smiled. “You ran off last night, I was about to offer to open back up for you.”  
“Oh, I didn’t want to be a bother.”  
“You could never be a bother to me.” Light winked.  
“My boss would disagree.” L looked at the hotplate display below the counter, missing the disappointed look on Light’s face. “I just want a small cup of chicken liver.”  
“You got it!” Light smiled and began to gather the order in a plastic cup while L turned to look at his boss, who seemed to be giving him a ‘you’re-an-idiot’ look as she stood up and walked over to him.  
“That’ll be three dollars,” Light chirped.  
“Here you go,” Carol handed Light a ten-dollar bill, smiling as he walked away to get her change, and then turning to look at L with a glare once he was out of earshot. “He was flirting with you,” she whispered. L just shrugged his bony shoulders, much to Carol’s aggravation. “Ask him out. You said that polite isn’t enough to know if you like someone-”  
“Which it isn’t.” L quickly interjected.  
“So, what better way to get to know him than a date?”  
L didn’t get time to respond when Light came back, handing L his order and giving Carol her change. L quickly thanked the man and walked out, Carol staying back to give a more polite goodbye before chasing after her subordinate.  
“I did what you asked, you can’t make me clean the walls with a toothbrush.” L reminded her before she could say anything as they walked along.  
Carol rolled her brown eyes and shook her head before she began tying her graying brunette hair back up into its usual bun. “How are you so observant in work but oblivious when it comes to talking to people?”. L opened his mouth to respond, but Carol held a single finger out to silence him. “Rhetorical question.” Carol glanced at the plastic cup in L’s hands before changing the subject. “Why did you get that anyway? I’ve never seen you eat anything other than candy and cake.”  
“Is this also a rhetorical question?”  
“I will put you in the corner if you make another smart-ass comment.” Carol didn’t sound like she was joking. Truthfully, what she would probably do is hide L’s bag of candy but seeing as he usually arrived before and left after Carol, he guessed she wouldn’t be able to carry out that punishment.  
“I got it for Mochi,” L explained, “I hate leaving him alone and thought I’d get him a treat. Plus, now I can get some groceries on the way home instead of making two stops.”  
As Carol started to go on about something he didn’t particularly care to listen to, L felt eyes on the back of his neck, a sick feeling settled in his stomach before he looked over his shoulder to see who was staring at him, but saw no one even remotely looking in their direction. Still, the feeling didn’t dissipate as they walked.  
He supposed he shouldn’t fret over it; he did more than his own fair share of staring at people, even now as an adult he did it when he wanted to observe others, and on occasion when someone noticed him blending in with his surroundings people stared at him, too; he was odd looking to say the least. Arma had often compared him to a raccoon. But still, this felt different than when a child stared at him and asked their parent what was wrong with him or when an adult seemed to be trying to figure out if he was on drugs.  
He just wanted to go home; he’d had enough of being around people for the day.

L grabbed his shopping cart, leaning on the handle after a boring day of work. Though, he should probably be grateful it was just another day of mindless tasks, considering the nature of his career.  
Still, the Piggly Wiggly offered no reprieve from his day of mindlessness. If anything, the dull hum of the florescent lighting was the closest thing he could compare to the feeling in his head.  
Still, he forced himself foreword, filling his cart with cakes, cookies, ice cream, two boxes of strawberries, whipped cream, and anything else that was sugary and sweet. He paused in the freezer section, thinking about if he should buy what was considered “real food”, but the sound of metal hitting metal made him snap his neck to see what happened.  
You’re here now?  
“I am so sorry,” Light quickly apologized, quickly pulling his own cart away from where it had hit L’s, “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”  
“S’fine.” L mumbled as he started to bite the tip of his thumb.  
Light glanced at L’s cart, an amused smile growing on his face. “Having a party?”  
“Actually no.” L felt the churning in his stomach getting worse the longer he stayed this close to Light.  
“Oh, well you must like sweets then.”  
“It’s the only thing I eat.”  
“That’s not healthy. What about the liver you bought this afternoon?”  
Why do you care about my dietary habits?  
“Was for my cat.” Seeing as Light clearly wasn’t getting the hint, L pushed his cart past Light, but the man quickly caught up with him thanks to his empty cart.  
“I like cats. What kind of breed do you have?”  
Huh, L wasn’t entirely sure. He had just picked Mochi from a shelter. He didn’t care to know the breed, and the vet said he was perfectly healthy with no signs of any “health issues associated with the breed” and spoiled, so L hadn’t thought to ask.  
“American short-hair, I think.” L guessed based on Mochi’s colors and tabby coat.  
“What’s his name?” Light seemed delighted to keep the conversation going.  
“Mochi.” L tried to look busy by pretending to read the back of a cereal box.  
“Like the food? I loved that as a kid.” When L gave nothing but a brief hum of acknowledgement, Light sighed. “L? I’m sorry I keep pestering you.”  
Interest peaked, L set the box down and looked to the man.  
“I just, I think you’re cute, and wanted to ask you out earlier, but I was at work and that wouldn’t be professional.”  
“So, does that mean you followed me here?”  
“No, no! I wouldn’t do that, I-” Light paused seeing the tiniest smirk on L’s face, so small one could have missed it unless they really looked. “You’re messing with me.” Light gave a soft laugh.  
“I was, but now that you’ve caught on it’s no longer fun.” L’s minuscule smirk grew a little.  
“Well, you can tease me further if you would like to go out?”  
L tossed the idea in his head back and forth, his stomach returning to that vicious knot that made him want to throw up. “I, I’ll think about it.” L pushed off and hurriedly left Light’s side, intending to check out and break the sound barrier with how fast he’ll be running to his car and loading his groceries.

Early the next morning, L laid in bed long after his alarm had gone off, but he wasn’t asleep. He hadn’t really slept at all. He spent the night tossing and turning, much to Mochi’s annoyance.  
Now, he had settled on laying on his back, staring at the ceiling as he absentmindedly pet the spoiled feline, trapped in his mind as he fought back and forth on what he should do, though he did enjoy the sound of the purring as the animal started to doze off.  
With a deep sigh that was loud enough to reawaken his friend, L tried to think aloud.  
“L is very nice, polite, and handsome. He clearly has an interest in a date with me, for whatever reason. Carol said he brought her and Arma home made cookies when he moved in, so he may have at least some interests or hobbies.” Mochi offered no help but he meowed and that was enough for L to continue his thought.  
“I don’t like the way my stomach feels around him. It gets all tight and I feel like I’ll throw up. I also wouldn’t know what to say to him if we did go out on a date.” L sighed and when Mochi gave no reaction, he picked the animal up and resettled it on his chest, petting the soft brown and creme colored head. “You don’t care, do you?” Mochi licked at L’s thumb in response, and the simple action made him feel a little better.  
“Come on, buddy,” L threw back the covers and held the feline in both hands as he stood up, “let’s get you some breakfast.” L softly laughed when Mochi offered a meow that almost sounded excited as he walked down the stairs.

With Mochi happily eating from his bowl in the kitchen, L settled himself on the couch for his day off with his laptop, a mug of coffee and a serving of strawberry cake for his own breakfast.  
Popping the whole strawberry in his mouth, L looked up tips for dates and dating. Nothing really made sense to him, but then again, he didn’t spend more time than necessary interacting with people. Well, living ones anyway.  
Running his hands through his already messy hair, L almost felt relief when his phone rang, Carol’s name flashing on the screen.  
“Hello?”  
“Hey L, I’m sorry to call you and I know it’s your day off, but we don’t have a choice.”  
Well, as cold of him as it was, at least he’d stop thinking about Light for a while.

L met Carol in the examination lab, quickly readying himself as Carol explained the situation to him.  
“Arma and I have already gotten up to the body bag being removed, so you can start the description of the victim and examination of the wounds, then we’ll go from there.”  
L gave a nod as he took his place at the table, pausing when he saw the body. “Victim is male, early to mid-twenties, black hair reaching the, jawline,” L wasn’t sure you could call it that anymore, “Caucasian, a birthmark on his neck.”  
Arma nodded as she quickly wrote everything down.  
“I’m unable to describe any facial features, the face, jaw, and forehead have all caved in, though markings on the surrounding skin indicate it was done with a blunt object.”  
“The police found a few of the victims’ teeth at the scene and called in a forensic dentist from a few counties over.”  
“Good. I don’t see a way we could possibly make any description with the way the face is caved in.” L shook his head. “Though I will say the attack being only aimed at the face suggests that this was a personal crime, so the police will want to look into anyone he victim knew personally, especially anyone they recently had a disagreement with or had a grudge against them.”  
Arma shut off the voice recorder as she finished her notes and stood from her stool. “Why didn’t you become a detective? I bet you’d make a good one.”  
“That would mean working with people,” L said as he and Carol unfolded a thick white sheet to place over the body, “and I’m not good at that.”  
“You do fine with me and mom?”  
“And how long did it take for either of you to get used to me?” L cocked an eyebrow as he walked by the blonde to throw away his used cloves.  
“Fair point,” Arma followed, “but that doesn’t matter if you get results. Detective Duncan is an asshole, but he still works with the police.”  
“Arma,” Carol warned.  
“Well he is.” She rolled her brown eyes.  
“I know he is, but that doesn’t mean we can say it.”  
“All I’m saying is, I think L would have been a good detective.” Arma clarified.

Shortly after Arma had left, L bit his thumb as he sat crouched on his desk chair as Carol typed away on her computer, stopping every few minutes to look at L who was staring at her until she took her hands away from the keyboard and looked to L directly, her brown eyes sharp but held concern for the young man. “Is there something bothering you, L? You know you can talk to me if-”  
“I, I ran into Light at the store,” L couldn’t hold back the words anymore, “we talked for a bit, though it was mostly him, and he asked me out on a date.”  
Carol’s brows rose for a moment before she nodded. “And what did you say?”  
“I said I’d think about it and ran away.”  
“You ran away? Of course, you did,” Carol sighed.  
“He makes me feel weird.” L explained.  
“Weird how?”  
“Like I can’t breathe, I want to throw up, and my chest gets tight whenever I see him. Nervous I guess is the closest way to describe it.”  
“Awe, you have a crush.” Carol smiled. “Arma used to get crushes all the time and felt the same way. I’m guessing this is your first one?” when L felt his face warm up, he looked away, hoping his pale cheeks didn’t resemble the strawberry sucker he was currently fiddling with.  
“I can’t tell you what to do, but if you like him, accept the date and see if you really do.” Carol thought for a moment and continued. “But if you do, keep it public.”  
The air thickened with the unspoken warning, even the overhead lights seemed to dim.  
“I thought you said he was nice?”  
“He is, I just meant for the safety of both of you.” Carol explained.  
L nodded, and when he was silent for a moment Carol went back to typing on her computer.  
Moments passed, only the sound of clicking keys filling the room as L seemed lost in thought before slowly standing up, collecting his hoodie and leaving as he tried to think of an excuse to visit Pop’s deli two days in a row.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would anyone be interested in a chapter from Light's point of view? Fair warning, if you do it'll be really violent.  
criticism and tips are appreciated if you have them.


	3. Strawberry Waffles

Light didn’t know why he had followed L after he left the deli. He just felt that he needed to, and he was glad he did.  
L had mentioned that he needed to get groceries after work, and based on the time he had first come to the deli as it was closing, Light was able to guess the time the man got off work; just minutes after himself, and with one grocery store in town, it was no guess where the dark haired man would go.  
Light had entered the store a few minutes after L to avoid being seen but was quick to find him thanks to his slow movements. It was no accident when he literally ran into L, but when he tried to lure the man in with friendly conversation and a charming smile, he got short, brief answers that annoyed him.  
Finally, Light had grown a little bored of trying to entice conversation out of L and tried playing the flattery game. “I just, I think you’re cute, and wanted to ask you out earlier, but I was at work and that wouldn’t be professional.”  
Light realistically knew L would say no, though he technically didn’t say that. Still, the answer ate at him.  
“I’ll think about it.” Who the hell has to think about going on a date, and who the fuck does he think he is to reject me?  
Light tried not to slam the door to his house as he entered. Even a small display of anger like that could mess everything up.  
Still, even in the privacy of the little house he was renting, Light tried to keep his face as neutral as possible to avoid unsightly lines or wrinkles down the road, but he couldn’t help the way his jaw clenched and his hands seemed to refuse to uncurl, even grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge too tightly.  
“Think about it.”  
Light leaned over the top of the open fridge door; his drink forgotten as he let out a small huff that was almost a laugh when he realized this was the first time in his life he was rejected.  
No, not the first time. He’d been rejected before, many, many times, just not romantically. Or sexually.  
The feeling of rejection. Light had almost forgotten it; being told you’re wrong, somehow. That you’re not good enough. That you’re unwanted.  
Pressing his lips together as his body trembled, Light took a moment to collect himself. He couldn’t slip. He had been doing this for years, and he had come too far to fuck up now.  
Slowly, his body stopped shaking with the effort it took to not tear the rented home apart, his fists unclenched, his jaw slackened, and the feeling of rejection slowly morphed into something different; a darker, more primal feeling taking over him. A familiar feeling he’d had for most of his life. An old friend with a message.  
Light closed the fridge and set to work, stripping his nice clothes in exchange for a black, long sleeve shirt, black jeans, solid black sneakers with the texture on the sole sanded out, a shower cap preventing any loose brown hairs being lost, a black beany to cover what would otherwise be a strange sight, a black jacket with the hood pulled up over his face, and a pair of black leather gloves.  
It wouldn’t be unusual if a neighbor saw him leaving his house like this; he made sure that people saw him jogging early in the mornings and in the evenings, just for occasions like this, and it didn’t hurt that it helped to keep his body perfect.  
Locking the door behind him, Light looked down the streets to see if anyone was out, and when he was only met with darkness he started a light jog, checking the rows of houses on either side of him as he went; almost all were dark, save an occasional glow from a tv that could bee seen from the windows. Though the sleeping people would be easy targets, he wasn’t looking for that. No, easy was boring, an insult to his work, and this primal urge needed someone specific.

Light made his way to the one public park in town, one he was familiar with from when he went on his runs. It was a nice park; playground equipment for kids, picnic tables, a couple of gazebos, and well cared for. But what interested him was the winding jogger path that went way out of sight. He had seen young lovers down there, walking hand in hand, in the mornings he’d seen other joggers that offered either a friendly smile or nod as they passed one another. But those weren’t likely to be out here at night. No, he was here for someone he had seen a few times, and one of the worst people Light hated.  
Junkie.  
He had seen the man a handful of times; a few times he was already high and talking to himself as Light passed by without being noticed despite walking right in front of him. Light had also seen him shooting up, and worst of all, had once caught a glimpse of the shithead trading sex for his next fix. He knew that story all too well.  
Coming around the curve of the path that was farthest away from prying eyes, Light spotted him in his usual spot. The man was sitting by a tree, his body trembling, a slight whine coming from him as he tried to cope with the pain in his body, and his dirty face sweaty despite the cold November air.  
Classic withdrawal symptoms. He remembered those too.  
“Hey,” Light slowly walked up to the man, “you okay, buddy?” God how he hated playing nice with these people.  
“Hurts. My body, it hurts.”  
Light pretended to look over the guy as if he wasn’t sure why he said that, but even an idiot could quickly figure out what was wrong with him. Still, he had to act his part for this to work. “I think I know why.” When the man looked up to face Light properly, Light could see black hair peeking out from under a dirty old cap, dark eyes with even darker circles surrounding them. Perfect. All that was missing was the skin color. The guy probably spent all day in the sun if the tan was anything to go by.  
"Need some Chiva?” Light questioned.  
“Yes!” the man stumbled onto his hands and knees, quickly crawling to Light and sitting on his knees like he was begging. “Do you have some? Please man, my body hurts, it hurts so fucking much.”  
“Yeah, I have some,” Light lied, “but I can’t just give it away.”  
“Please, I’ll do anything, please just give me some.”  
“I’m guessing you don’t have money.”  
The man shook his head, more of those messy dark hairs coming free with the rapid movement. Of course, he didn’t. It wasn’t a question. “I, I can trade anything else.”  
“Anything, huh?” Light cocked a perfectly groomed eyebrow.  
“Yeah, you, you want me to suck your cock? I’ll do it-” Light backed up a few feet as the man tried to grab the button on his jeans. Just the thought of that piece of shit touching his beautiful body made his skin crawl like it was covered in spiders.  
“Hey, we do this my way, got it?” Light barked. The man nodded and waited as light straightened back up. “Take off that hat.”  
The man didn’t hesitate, letting his dark hair free. It looked so similar.  
“Okay. I want to be on top, so lay down.” Light had absolutely no intention of letting this filth touch him, but it was the best way to get the junkie in a vulnerable position. Light straddled himself across the guys stomach, getting a confused look in return.  
“What? How would this-”  
“My way, remember? Or I could just go-”  
“No, no, no, no,” the man stammered, “I’m sorry, just don’t go.”  
“Then shut up and stop questioning me if you want it so bad.” The man nodded and stayed quiet.  
“Close your eyes, they sicken me.” The first truth he told to this man. He hated how bloodshot and red they were. They looked to familiar. Brought back too many memories. “and look away, I don’t want to see your face.”  
The junkie did as he was told, closing his eyes, turning his head, and waiting. Light waited a moment to be sure the junkie wasn’t going to try and peek, and when he saw no signs of his eyes opening, Light slowly reached into his hoodie pocket, pulling a large rock from within. He was glad he had picked it up on his way through the park, his original idea was to just strangle him, hence the gloves he wore, but this would be more satisfying.  
Light raised the rock over his own head and brought it down as hard as he could on the man, hitting the temple in just the right spot to fracture the bones inward, rupturing the middle meningeal artery, blood seeping between the lining around the man’s useless brain and skull, knocking the man unconscious.  
Almost too easy.  
Light, satisfied with how quickly he was able to do this, turned the man’s head to he could clearly see his face. So similar.  
With a smile, Light brings the rock down directly on the unconscious man’s face, breaking his nose and allowing more blood to spill as he repeatedly crashes the stone to his victim’s face, again and again and again long after his chest has stopped moving, the bones in no longer audibly crunched, and the flesh has started to sink in on its broken support system.  
Still, he continues. Blood splattering across Light’s handsome face, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he continues, smirking a little when he sees that some of the disgusting teeth have fallen out of the mouth, probably caught on the rock at some point or drawn out with the force of him pulling the stone back over his head, and the flesh has turned into a mess of red fleshy paste.  
It takes a while, but the adrenaline slowly dies down and leaves Light’s arm and shoulder aching with the exertion of his task. Letting out a soft breath, Light wipes his shining brow of sweat and once again looks to the mess he’s made. Dark hair bloody, face completely caved in, dark eyes with circles no longer looking at him. That primal urge in him is mostly satisfied.  
Standing up, Light tosses the rock as hard and as far as he can with his muscles aching, wiping the blood off his face with his gloves and continues his jog along the path, his mind finally relaxed.

Light checked the clock as he wiped down the counter. A few more minutes and he could go home and relax. Light leaned down under the counter to put away the spray bottle when the bell above the door rang, a normal sound for this place but with only a few minutes to closing, he didn’t want to pretend he was the perfect employee.  
“I’m sorry, we’re closing up now.” Light slapped on a fake, polite smile as he stood up.  
“I just have the worst timing, don’t I?” L gave an awkward twitch of his lips in Light guessed was supposed to be a smile.  
“Well, I can make an exception for you. Another order of liver?”  
“Actually no.” L fidgeted with his hands.  
“Oh, then what can I get you?”  
“I came to apologize for last night.” L briefly made eye contact, his cheeks growing the faintest shade of pink.  
“Oh, it’s okay. I kind of expected the rejection, to be honest.” Light waved it off.  
“I did not reject the offer.” L corrected. “In fact, I came to see if you were still interested.” Light gave a nod and a smile, his chest fluttering at the thought. “Should we exchange numbers to schedule?”  
Perfect.  
Light wrote his number down on the back of a business card, handing it to L with a smile, who gave another awkward lip twitch as he took it in his long, pale fingers. “I’ll see you soon.”  
L left, disappearing beyond the large windows of the store and leaving Light with a smug look. Things were going faster than expected, but it worked.

L sat on his couch; knees pulled up to his chest as he stared at the small business card. Well, stared at the numbers written on the back of the card is more accurate.  
Was he supposed to text first? Of course he was, he didn’t give Light his number.  
When was an appropriate time to text him? L pretty much never slept, so he had no idea when most people were awake or not.  
Didn’t Arma say something once about having to wait a certain amount of time to text after being given a number?  
He hadn’t yet texted Light since it was night and L guessed he would be asleep, and for the same reason, he couldn’t text Arma about that rule she made up. The only person he guessed could possibly be up at four in the morning was Carol, but that choice had two possible outcomes; one: she wasn’t, then he would be scolded for not sleeping when she got to work, or two: she was awake, would still scold him for not sleeping but then she would be asking a million uncomfortable questions.  
With a sigh, L sat the note aside on the coffee table and pulled his laptop to him. Might as well see if the forensic dentist had emailed him anything or was able to make an ID from the few teeth that weren’t crushed. No reason he couldn’t take care of some work emails while at home.  
Of course, there were no new emails. L sat the device aside, thinking Arma was right and he should have been a detective; at least then he would have something to work on when he couldn’t sleep.  
Normally, he’d work on his collection of butterflies but with it being late fall, there were none to catch. Absentmindedly, he let his eyes look around the living room. He hadn’t changed anything since his parents died. Well, no he did change one thing. He peeked over the back of the couch to the wall behind it. The glass cases that hung on display were filled with beautiful butterflies in all shapes, colors, and sizes.  
Admiring his collection took him back to when he was small, by himself, playing in the yard or on the schoolgrounds, chasing the beautiful fluttering bugs and excitedly catching them in a mason jar, just to admire them up close before letting them go.  
“Uniquely curious” was what L’s teachers called him, at least when they had noticed him. Strange how they never noticed him when he was being beaten up, and never noticed the bruises, scratches, or bloody noses that he didn’t have before recess. Even so, he was pretty sure his educators only called him that because they hardly ever noticed him, sometimes even forgetting the strange looking boy was one of their students.  
Sighing, L no longer wanted to remember his childhood and sunk back down on the couch, letting his lithe body be cradled by the plush cushions and stared at the ceiling.  
Maybe he should consider changing a few things about the house? It had been his for a few years now and he still hadn’t done anything. He could at least convert his father’s old office into his, right? Not like the old man needed it anymore. The thought sounded cold, even to L, but he wasn’t wrong, and having a space just for work would most likely help his productivity.  
Standing slowly from his seat, L walked over to the small hallway that lead to the main bathroom, the utility closet, and his father’s office.  
Even now, years later as a full-grown adult and owner of the house, he still felt the need to knock on the door and wait to be allowed in, even raising his hand to knock before he stopped himself.  
Pushing the door open, L was greeted by darkness. Stepping over the threshold, he felt like he was a small child again, entering his father’s domain. Like the man was still in here.  
Flicking on the lights, the darkness of the room was driven out by the vintage brass candle scone lights to reveal the wooden floors, dark green striped wallpaper with dark Wainscot at the bottom.  
The polished wooden desk and rolling chair seemed so large to L as a child, and it still did, and the wall of shelves behind it made the office look more official. L could swear he still smelled the scent of his father’s cigar, cologne, and something else he couldn’t quite name in the room, bringing clashing waves of nostalgia and dread.  
L walked around the room cautiously out of habit as he moved to the opposite wall, pulling the heavy curtains aside and opening both the windows, just to make sure the scent was aired out as fast as possible. The chill of the outside air practically went through L, but he didn’t care. Wrapping his skinny arms around himself, he turned back around, leaning on the wall as he continued to look about the room.  
The one chair across from the desk, looked nice; dark wood and brown leather. L knew it was cushioned well, despite the hard look. He hated that chair. It made him think of all the times his father would have him sit there to just stare at him.  
The first time he had sat in that damned seat, he had trouble climbing on to it. He was so young that even if he didn’t sit with his spine to the back of it, his feet would have dangled over the edge. He had thought he was in trouble for something, but he didn’t know what for since he didn’t break any rules and did his chores, so he just sat quietly with his hands folded in his lap. It had felt like hours passed as his father just stared at him, his deep-set scowl fixed on him and tapping his short, thick fingers like it was his time being wasted.  
Being under his father’s gave made L’s chest tight, and he just wanted to cry and apologize for whatever it was he did if it meant his father would send him to his room for the rest of the day. He just couldn’t take the mans small black eyes glaring at him like he was something stuck to the bottom of his loafers. L wanted to run when his father waved him away, turning his attention back to the papers neatly stacked on his desk, and the little boy didn’t need to be told once.  
Shaking off the memory, looked to the large globe stand. It was convincing, even more so when L got a little closer to it and let his fingers touch the cold surface; sturdy wood and the globe was properly labeled and detailed. Most people would think it was just a globe.  
L gripped the stand at the top of the sphere and opened it, gazing down at the bottles and the single glass that hid inside it.  
That’s what the unknown scent had been. His father’s signature scent; cologne, cigar smoke, and alcohol.  
L closed the lid and used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the fingerprints off as if his father would still be checking to see if anyone touched his secret stash.  
L closed the windows and shut the lights off as he left the room, the heavy air in it becoming to much for him to take. In fact, the whole house had taken on an oppressive aura that threatened to crush L’s chest, though Mochi seemed unbothered by it, sleeping soundly on the stairs as L pulled on a jacket.  
“I’ll be back later, Mochi. Stay out of trouble.”

Light wasn’t sure why he hadn’t been able to go to bed, but nothing short of knocking himself over the head with a bat was going to make him go to sleep. His stomach had gurgled when he finally acknowledged that he wasn’t going to rest tonight, and none of the specimens in his freezer looked satisfying. Light had developed a craving for something sweet, and he had nothing in his kitchen that would do. So, he had come to a chain waffle house, sat in the corner by the window as the tired waitress refilled his coffee.  
Light and the waitress looked when there was movement at the door, and as the waitress greeted the newcomer, Light wasn’t sure if it was anger or butterflies in his stomach at seeing L. The waitress told L to sit anywhere and she’d bring him a menu and walked in the back.  
“Hi,” L gave an awkward wave of his hand.  
“Couldn’t sleep either?” Light chuckled.  
“No, but that isn’t unusual for me.” L shoved his hands in his coat pockets as he looked around.  
“You can join me if you want?” Light offered, gesturing to the empty seat across from him. L nodded and sat down, his large black eyes looking around the place curiously, like he was looking for something. “Have you been here before?”  
“Not in a very long time.” L shrugged. When Light looked at him expectantly, L opened his mouth, but closed it quickly. “How long have you lived here?”  
Hm, quite the subject change. Perhaps something is bothering him?  
“I moved in about three, almost four months ago. It’s a nice place.” Light nodded. “And you?”  
“Lived here my whole life.” L brought his thumb up to his lips. “Where are you from, originally?”  
Light guessed in any other situation this would be a normal question, but with his short, brief responses, L seemed like he was digging for information. Maybe this is just how he talked? He did give very brief responses at the store, but he hadn’t asked anything in turn then.  
“I was born from the Kanto prefecture of Japan, but my family moved to America when I was a baby.”  
Family. Referring to those people with such a word made Light’s mouth bitter, and it was difficult to keep the sneer off his face when he mentioned them, but he must have succeeded if L’s lack of reaction was anything to go by.  
L nodded and fiddled with his hands as the waitress took his order before disappearing again.  
“So, you do eat something other than cake?” Light smirked.  
“I also eat strawberries.”  
Light wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped him. “So, sweets and strawberries? Is that your diet?”  
“Mostly, yes.” Light was about to laugh again but noticed the look of seriousness on L’s face. Glancing at L’s body, or as much of it as he could with the table between them, but Light couldn’t control his face as he watched how L adjusted himself in his seat; his knees were pulled to his chest and the heels of his shoes rested on the edge of the chair. Perhaps a normal thing if they had been in a private setting, but in a restaurant. “Is how I sit making you uncomfortable?”  
“No, it’s just,” Light searched for a word that would accurately describe it but not offend.  
“It’s odd,” L nodded, “I know, but this is just how I do it. I can move if you would like?”  
“No,” Light felt a twinge of what he could only describe as panic run through his chest at the thought of L leaving, “I mean, it’s not a big deal.” Why didn’t he know what to say? He was charming, damn it!  
The waitress brought L’s food, a plate of strawberry waffles with lots of whipped crème and strawberry syrup, and the two just ate in silence for a while, occasionally one would look like they wanted to say something, but would change their mind and either eat their food or sip their coffee before the words could slip.

Eventually, the food was gone, and the coffee mugs were dry. Light guessed the waitress was on her break, an wouldn’t be back for a bit.  
“So,” he tapped his fingers on the table, “how did you get your name?”  
“It is a strange name, isn’t it?” L bit the tip of his thumb, “I never asked. I think my Lucille and Li-” L stopped for a second before correcting himself. “I think my parents just couldn’t come up with a name for me that they liked, so they just used the letter.”  
“My parents messed up my name, too. They used the characters for Moon but called me Light.”  
“Were your parents traditional?”  
Depends, which parents are you talking about? “Not really.” An understatement to say the least. “Yours?”  
“Very.” L offered no further explanation and looked to his empty coffee mug, tracing his finger around the rim.  
The waitress brought the checks and, much to Light’s dismay, L paid both before he could reach for his own wallet.  
“I’m in your debt, now.” Light commented.  
“No, you are not,” L shook his head slightly. “I enjoyed your company and would like to do this again.”  
Light thought for a moment; nothing about their interaction suggested that L was enjoying himself, if anything the silence and avoidance of looking at him made Light think L was uncomfortable, but the words slowly sunk in and he looked to meet L’s eyes. “Was this the date I asked you out on?”  
“I suppose so.”  
“and did you just ask me out on another one?” Light smirked.  
“I suppose so.” L returned the smirk, though Light could see the blush creeping on his pale cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sources on the brain trauma that the man in the park sustained:  
• 8 Little Known Facts About the Temple, BY JORDAN ROSENFELD, NOVEMBER 1, 2017, www.mentalfloss.com  
• Neuroanatomy, Middle Meningeal Arteries, Adriana L. Natali; Jonathan T. Leo. October 27, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov  
• What is an epidural hematoma? Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M.D., MPH Written by Jenna Fletcheron. December 7, 2017  
• Epidural hematoma, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


	4. Texts

L didn’t miss the sigh Carol gave as she walked into the office, “You were here all night again, weren’t you?” she questioned, turning on the lights, which pained L’s eyes after staring at his computer screen in the dark for so long. She either didn’t notice the way L’s face winced as the room was illuminated, or she thought it was a suitable punishment as she shook her head, walking over to the small coat rack to the side of the door.  
“No, I was home most of the night.” L rubbed his eyes briefly before returning to whatever boring task he had been working on.  
“Did you get any sleep?” Carol asked as she removed her coat and scarf.  
“I realized I haven’t changed anything in the house since I got it, so I may do some redecorating.” Not a lie, but mostly L wanted to skip this part of his day.  
“That doesn’t answer my question.” Carol said, taking her seat at the desk across from L’s.  
He should have known something like that wouldn’t work. Good thing there was an update to their last body. “We got an email from the forensic dentist. It should be in your email, too.” No way his boss would skip over that.  
“What did he say?” Carol quickly started her computer, her fingers flying over the keyboard, almost as fast as L’s, as she pulled up her work email.  
“He made an ID on our latest victim. I’m surprised he could.” L briefly commented. He was impressed, considering the damage. L‘s mind wondered a moment, remembering how all but a few teeth had been broken, which took an immense amount of strength, even if the they were poorly kept. He thought of mentioning it to the detectives, but surely even they had to know that. Just in case, L made a mental note to mention it to Charlie next time he saw him. “The victim was Richard Daniel. Former family man and pastor.”  
“Former?” Carol’s brow furrowed for a moment before she rolled her eyes, “L that’s not an appropriate joke to-”  
“‘Former’, as in he quit and ran off when he got addicted to drugs. Do not interrupt.” Carol looked like she still wanted to chastise L, or at least point out the irony in his statement, but she waited for him to continue. “I noticed some dots on the arms and decided to have Arma collect a blood sample for toxicology, we won’t know what was in his system until we get the report in a few weeks but according to the ex-wife, he was addicted to heroin.  
That, combined with the brutality to the face, suggesting it was a personal attack, possibly out of anger, it could be that he had a dealer and things escalated.”  
“Any idea who the dealer was?”  
“Not my job.” L reminded her. Even Carol seemed to forget that he wasn’t a detective.  
“Alright, and the email was also sent to the investigators, so we just have to hold him for the coroners to take him back to his family.” Carol nodded to herself before turning her eyes back to L. “So, did you sleep?”  
L guessed he would have to bring out the big guns, though he wasn’t sure which he would hate talking about more, his awkward late-night dinner or his erratic sleeping schedule.  
“I went to that waffle place in town last night, and Light was there.”  
Carol leaned in a little closer, her arms resting on her desk as she waited for L to continue. “And? What did you talk about?”  
“Nothing particular,” L shrugged, “how long he’s lived here, how he likes it, where he’s from…we mostly stayed silent as we ate, but I enjoyed his presence. Not enough to say if I definitively like him for a romantic partner, mind you,” L tagged on, not wanting Carol to get the wrong idea, “But I find that I am not bothered by his company.”  
“So, did he ask you out?”  
“Actually, he already did, last night was just an unplanned meeting. I may have asked him out, however.”  
Carol squealed and before L could ask what was wrong, he was ensnared in a hug, his head wrapped in his boss’s arms and his cheek pressed to her collarbone. “I’m proud of you!” she praised.  
“Please let go of my face.” L could only imagine the stupid look on his face with the way his cheeks were squished to the point it pushed made half of his lips pout, and considering his large dark eyes, he imagined he looked something like a fish.  
Although L liked Carol, being this close to anyone made him feel strange; the intimate contact was foreign to his skin, but it was warm, and walking a thin line of welcome and uncomfortable.  
“Oh, can’t I be excited that you did something new? You hardly talked just a few days ago and now you asked someone out!” the older woman seemed too excited for something simple, and L didn’t understand. The older woman pulled away, the warmth leaving L’s skin. L almost wanted to ask for another hug, but quickly brushed the thought away as Carol continued. “Did he say yes?”  
“Yes, and I gave him my number.” L decided to forgo that he already had Light’s, and that it was the latter who asked for his contact information shortly before they left.  
“I smell love in the air,” Carol happily sung as she retook her seat at her desk.  
L sniffed the air curiously a couple of times but decided not to mention that all he smelled was industrial sanitation products they used in the examination room and Lysol spray.

Light usually took his days off to prepare for his activities; sometimes that meant following someone around all day as apposed to only after he got off work, other times it was thinking up ways to keep up his image, having fun with whoever was in the basement he had at the moment or cleaning up the aftermath, but today, he just couldn’t bring himself to do any of those things.  
Instead, Light had been sitting on his couch, even now the house was silent and still as L consumed his mind. The strange looking man was the perfect target; no family to look for him or to push the police once they filed a missing persons report. A loner by the sounds of it and how awkward he was around people. Or maybe that was just Light? Why would L be awkward or nervous around him? Light did the nice and polite thing, even had some witty conversation with the dark-haired man. Maybe L was just immune to his charm? No, he had made him blush a couple of times. Light would have to put some effort into charming L. Usually people were charmed by his looks lone, and only fell further under his spell with the persona he put on. But L was different; smarter and more cautious than all the rest. Light could see that in his eyes; those big, black eyes like a doe. He could see that they swam with intelligence and cunning, even when he seemed to be absentmindedly looking at their surroundings like a skittish animal, but Light could tell he was observing. Cataloging. Thinking. Those eyes felt like they could look right through you, into your soul.  
What would L do if he really could see Light’s soul? Would he even have one?  
Beeping drew Light out of his thoughts and brought him into the small kitchen, the smell of baked goods filling the air. Pulling on the oven mitt, Light brought out the strawberry pie and set it on the counter.  
Hm, L likes strawberries. And he all but said he only eats sweets. Maybe he could take the pie to L? It wouldn’t be unusual; he gave lots of his food to people. But then again, L didn’t know Light knew where he lived, so that’s not possible.  
Maybe he could invite L over? If he took the bait, then Light could kill him quickly in the comfort of his home, and cleanup would be easy since he has all the products at his fingertips.  
But, then again, Light inviting L over would have implications. L didn’t seem like the type to be into sex, let alone with a near stranger, but Light had literally charmed the pants off people for years.  
It’s the easiest way to get what you want, isn’t it?  
Shaking his head, Light decided not to go down that road. Not now.  
Rubbing his face, Light sighed and laid his head on the counter as he racked his brain for ideas, but no matter what he came up with, they always lead to L smiling and blushing instead of screaming in pain or covered in his own blood.  
Well, there were a few ideas that lead to L screaming, but not the way Light originally intended.  
L was a skinny little thing, even under his baggy clothes he looked frail. Fragile. Breakable. His pale skin looked so smooth and flawless. Light wanted to mark up that perfect skin with his teeth.  
Light smirked at the thought of how awkward and nervous L was, so unsure of his movements. Would L be shy if he were to ride Light? The thought of having to dig his fingers into those pale hips and guide the man’s movements, his grip tight and bruising the pale flesh as he moved the lithe body up and down on his cock, leaving fingerprint shaped bruises behind made Light’s cock throb.  
Reaching down and palming himself through his pants, Light let his imagination flow.  
Would the doe eyed man be a screamer, or would he try to muffle any sounds he made? God, he hoped L was a screamer. He usually hated hearing his partners, wanting to tell them to shut up but knowing he had to just get through it, but damn did Light want to hear L and any little sound he could make.  
Then again, maybe L would want to fuck him? He seemed to be the passive type, but then again, L had surprised him a few times already.  
L had long, skinny, fingers that Light was sure would feel good, no matter if they were stroking him or opening him up. They were graceful, too, steady and precise. Light had watched L’s digits as he traced the brim of his coffee cup last night, and he had been entranced by their movements for a moment.  
No, the first time they had sex, Light would be fucking L. He wanted to feel L’s insides before he did anything. Light unfastened his jeans, reaching into his underwear and began stroking his cock, rutting into his closed fist as his mind continued.  
If his social ineptitude and shy nature were any indication, L was probably a virgin. Nice and tight, undefiled and ready to be taken. Light smirked as he thought of not bothering to take it slow, but rather shove his cock inside in one thrust, just to hear L cry. Oh, that would be a beautiful sound.  
Light tightened his grip on his cock, his body shivering as he thought of brutally fucking L, hearing him cry out for Light to be gentle, that he was being too rough, wincing as he buried his own fingers into that messy black hair and pulled his head back if he tried to muffle his sounds in the pillows. The thought of L’s cries as Light pulled him back to meet his thrusts, his skinny pale body covered in bruises, bitemarks, scratches, and hickies, quivering as he couldn’t decide if it hurt or felt good. Fuck he wanted that so bad. He wanted L under him, naked and marked up, sweaty with tears covering his face, lips bitten raw and screaming Light’s praises, begging for release, begging for Light’s release.  
Light stroked himself faster, rubbing his thumb over the sensitive tip and rutting into his own hand as he felt a familiar tightness building in his stomach.  
“Oh, shit,” Light panted, his mind too caught up in his fantasy to realize or care that he was talking to himself, the coiling in his gut getting tighter the faster he stroked his cock.  
He wanted to see it, see his cock pushing in and out of L’s tight little ass, watching the red rim barely stretch enough to take his girth, L’s cries of praise barely covering the sound of their bodies colliding.  
“Fuck,” Light’s hips moved on their own accord, chasing his rapidly approaching release as he continued to imagine he was fucking L and not his fingers, “Gonna, gonna cum for you, baby.” Light wet his lips, biting into the tender flesh to quiet himself as he tipped over the edge, his climax consuming him until there was nothing left.  
With a deep sigh, Light opened his heavy eyes and grabbed the nearby roll of paper towels to clean up. Why didn’t he think to grab one before he finished? Then again, that would have broken his concentration, and required attention away from the scene playing in his head.  
It was worth it, Light decided. He could only imagine how much better the real thing would feel, and he intended to find out soon.

In truth, L didn’t watch TV much, but he realized he hadn’t slept in a few days and had tried to go to bed.  
He had managed a little sleep, maybe an hour, before he awoke. For a long time, L had laid in his sheets, going back and forth between switching positions as he tried to force himself back to sleep and staring at his darkened room. He didn’t know what woke him, usually on the rare occasions he slept he would get three hours of rest before waking and be good for a few days at least, but something had disturbed him. Something familiar. The feeling of eyes fixed on him, watching his every move with scrutiny. Perhaps he had dreamed of his father? It was even more rare for L to dream as he slept, but it had happened a couple of times. Still, he couldn’t manage to go back to sleep and intended to wait until sunrise to get up, but when he remembered Arma mentioning that watching TV helped her doze off, he had decided to try it.

L mindlessly pet Mochi as he stared at the TV, not really paying attention to whatever mindless garbage was playing. He had already guessed which character was the killer within the first ten minutes, now all he could think of was all the medical inaccuracies the show was bullshitting out to fit the plot.  
The feline resting on his chest meowed loudly at the tv, much to L’s amusement. “I know buddy,” L began to stroke his pets head, “I don’t think the writing is good either.” He smiled when the cat purred, closing its eyes and clearly started to drift to sleep. L looked back to the screen. More accurately, he looked at the screen for a moment before his eyes were drawn to the shadows the glowing light casted on his surroundings. L pulled the blanket tighter around himself and his loved pet. The blanket, however, wasn’t in case he got cold or in case he fell asleep on the couch. He had wrapped it around himself to feel safer, and he wasn’t afraid to admit that. At least to himself. The blanket was his way of hiding away from eyes that stared him down, the heavy gaze crushing him under its weight.  
What was that old saying? Old habits die hard?  
Even now, he could feel that heavy stare, it almost felt like a force pushing him down, and L had to fight the urge to lay down on the cushions like the back of the couch would shield him from whatever was behind it. He would do it, too, if it wasn’t for not wanting to disturb Mochi. The cat gets more sleep than he does, it seems. But that sleep was interrupted when L’s phone dinged loudly, scaring Mochi and causing the cat to claw his way up L’s chest as it ran away in fear.  
Hissing at the burn if the scratches, winced a little before looking back over his shoulder to see his cat standing, looking around the dark room for a moment before deciding it was safe enough to groom itself.  
“Cats may be the one thing stranger than me.” L commented, getting no response from his tiny assaulter.  
Turning back around, L grabbed his phone, cocking an eyebrow when he saw a text.  
I’m guessing you’re awake?  
-L.Y

L knew the number, he had gotten it very recently, and given his in turn, but when he checked the time in the corner of his phone, it seemed odd that Light was awake before five AM.

How did you know?  
-L.L  
After thinking a moment, L backspaced on his last initial. He never liked using it. He even hated it, for many reasons.  
It didn’t take long before he got a reply.

You seem like the insomniac type.  
-L.Y  
No offence.  
-L.Y

Well it wasn’t hard to guess based on his appearance. L knew he looked permanently tired, and the way he slouched and dressed didn’t help.

You’re not wrong.  
-L

So, I’m right?  
-L.Y

I didn’t say that.  
-L  
L smirked at the words; the exact same ones from their meeting from before the sun rose. Perhaps he was being cocky, but he couldn’t bring himself to care when Light seemed to play along.

Perhaps naturally nocturnal, then?  
-L.Y  
Pale, doesn’t sleep at night. Do you have a reflection in the mirror?  
-L.Y

Yes, though I am allergic to garlic and burst into flames at the sight of religious imagery.  
-L

Could it be that you’re a werewolf?  
-L.Y  
It would explain the hair.  
-L.Y  
As the two continued this way, L felt himself relaxing into the couch, pulling the blanket up closer until he started to fall asleep, sweet serenity welcoming him as the last of his willpower to keep his eyes open bled out.

Light smirked as he peeked in through the window. L was asleep on the couch, and just to be sure, Light sent one more message, asking if L fell asleep.  
When the phone lit up but didn’t disturb the sleeping form, Light’s smile grew. Rising from his spot in the bushes, and slowly moving to the back door only a few strides away.  
Sitting on his knees, Light pulled the Lockpicking kit from his pocket and, after giving one last glance around to make sure there was no one else up at this hour, made quick work of the back door, gently pushing it forward to test for any creaks before shoving his small toolkit in his pocket and stepping inside.

So, the back door is in the dining room. Light glanced over the half wall arch that allowed him to see into the family room and saw no signs of L waking up. Good, he can continue.  
Light gently walked further inside, the light of the TV that L had forgotten to turn off providing just enough light for him to see that the room was furnished with an ornate dining room set, old based on the intricate carvings in the wood, but perfectly well maintained to the point it almost looked new.  
Sliding around the table and chairs, Light approached the counters that separated the dining room and kitchen, admiring the real stone raised bar connected to the double sink.  
The kitchen was spacious, real stone countertops, two small pantries facing each other from opposite walls and a cooking island in the middle that Light couldn’t help but imagine fucking L on, right in front of the two windows that faced the street, allowing any passerby to look in and see.  
Ignoring the twitch in his underwear that the image stirred, Light turned his attention from the kitchen, though he did plan to poke around in there later, just to see if L really only did eat sweets, and walked past the half wall and stood in the family room.  
More old, perfect condition furniture, except for the obviously new flat screen TV, and a wall of glass panels that displayed butterflies, but they were nothing compared to L’s sleeping face.  
Light couldn’t stop himself. He leaned over the arm of the couch, watching L’s chest steadily rise and fall with each deep, slow breath he took. L’s face looked more peaceful, like during his waking hours he carried the world on his shoulders and you could see it in his face, but as he slept, he still had a strange look in general, but he looked like an angel.  
Light’s hand reached out before he realized what he was doing and brushed some the black mess of hair that obscured L’s face behind his ear. His eyes locked on L’s throat, bare, pale, skinny and vulnerable. Light’s hand traced lower on the pale flesh, letting his digits skim over the soft skin. It would look so pretty covered in his squeezing fingers.  
Pulling away from the temptation, Light stood and pulled the blanket higher up L’s body before quietly moving on.  
Down the small hallway connected to the family room, Light found the main bath, utility closet that doubled as a washing machine room, and an office if more ornate furniture and a wall of books. He would have to find something to tell him what L did for a living while he was here, but his first and foremost plan was to mentally map out L’s house and find any weaknesses or habits he could use against him.  
The foyer was open to the second floor, even the L-shaped stairs were ornate and beautiful. The sitting room at the top was bare except for the window bench, and by the looks of it the upper porch beyond that was unused. Another place to fuck L?  
One bedroom was unused, the master suite, connected bathroom and walk in closet looked untouched in years except for cleaning, the second main bath held nothing of value to tell him about L, except what toothpaste and shampoo he used, which Light couldn’t stop himself from smelling. It smelled like part of L, and the scent brought peace to his mind before he remembered what he was here for.  
The last room was obviously L’s, based on the lack of blanket on the bed. This was by far the most interesting room.  
Yes, it had the usual bed, small closet, and desk that Light guessed hadn’t been used since High school, but it was the bookshelf that told him that L read many of the same books as Light, a lot of them pertaining to death and studies of human anatomy, the wall of glass cases that displayed various bugs, mostly butterflies, along with eggs and various bones of birds and small rodents. L seemed to have a fascination with death, and L’s suspicion was only made stronger by finding L’s work pass.  
Medical examiner. Fitting, for such a strange man like you, L. Maybe you’ve had my last few playthings on your table?  
The thought of L working on the bodies Light left behind made him feel giddy, like he was closer to L in some strange way, and it didn’t escape him that by doing his own activities, he was giving L work to do. Surely someone as smart as L would be bored as easily as Light, so it was almost like he was helping.  
The idea left his heart fluttering. It was a beautiful, almost funny coincidence.  
Still, he had one more thing to go through before he could leave; L’s small dresser.  
Light was careful not to mess everything up too noticeably as he looked for something he could use against L; drugs, weapons, something. Maybe a nude photo or two? Though, if he found that he’d just take it for himself anyway. Just to know what his future canvas would look like. But there was nothing.  
Sighing in defeat, Light closed the drawer and leaned against the cool wooden surface for a moment. L seemed to have no secrets. He was just a recluse that wanted to be left alone. He had some uncommon interests, maybe Light could work that into conversation somehow?  
Rubbing his face, Light turned to leave but paused when the crumpled pile of clothes caught his eye. He wasn’t sure why the discarded fabrics drew his attention, but when he picked them up, the distinct scent of L filled his nose, and soon his face was buried in the dirty laundry inhaling the smell greedily as his cock filled out.  
He couldn’t take all the clothes; he shouldn’t take any at all, but god that smell, and the thought that these had touched L’s body, he couldn’t resist.  
The shirt was another plain white shirt with long sleeves; he could take that since it seemed L had many of the exact same shirt. But then again, he would notice that missing from the floor, and the same thing applied to the jeans. A sock? One always goes missing. No, no he’d be tempted to use it next time he jerked off, and it didn’t quite have the scent the other clothes had.  
So that just left underwear.  
Snatching the fabric up before he could think of a reason to leave it, Light buried his face into the crotch of the fabric and shivered as he inhaled. This touched L, and in the most intimate of places. He needed to take these home.  
Stuffing the underwear under his shirt for safe keeping, L quietly slipped out of the house, L none the wiser about who had been there while he slept.


	5. Choice cuts

Light had learned so much about L last night. The layout of his house, his hobbies, what he liked to read, what brands of toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and soap he used, even now, he had L’s underwear in his hands. Subconsciously, he knew he shouldn’t have taken them. Having the underpants could link him to L, but the idea of having a little piece of the strange man with him was just too tempting, whatever DNA left in them be damned; he felt blissful holding the stolen garment to his nose, the scent of L making his mouth water.  
Light had been so eager to get home and spend time with his trophy that he had forgotten about dinner, or his need to run to the next town over and buy some wood from the home improvement store. He needed to build a special place to hide his prize, but he could take care of that later. Right now, he could take care of dinner.  
Sealing the underwear in a plastic bag to keep the scent fresh and uncontaminated, Light hid the bag in his pillowcase before getting ready to go out for the night.

L really regretted mentioning to Carol his idea of redecorating his father’s study. She had brought over entire catalogs of flooring options, paint colors, and wallpaper patterns. Honestly, he couldn’t care less what the room looked like. He had brought it up because he just wanted to avoid talking to her about his sleep patterns, again, and said the first thing he could think of, but if he didn’t at least mention a few things he looked at in detail, Carol would know he had somewhat lied. Then he’d see that look on her face; the look that sent his stomach to the floor and made him walk with his head down. He had seen that face before on his father, L was pretty sure that look was just the natural expression of the man. It never left his features, like it had been carved into stone, but seeing Carol make it made L’s throat tight, especially if it was directed at him. He wanted to avoid being on the receiving end of that look, so much so that he sat on his living room floor, arms laid across the smooth surface of his coffee table, chin resting on his folded arms as he glanced over the pictures without much care.  
Expresso, coffee, golden brown, spiced brown, walnut, they all looked the same. It was just a floor to walk on, why should he care about its color?  
Looking from the heavy book that sat on his coffee table to the small hallway that lead to the room in question, L pulled his knees to his chest and bit at his thumb as he felt a heavy gaze settle on him.  
He could remember all the times he had been sitting on the couch or chair, reading a book or doing his homework when that crushing feeling would wash over him like a flood. Looking up, he would always see his father, tall and intimidatingly large, arms crossed, and his dark eyes fixed on the small boy, that damn look on his face that made L feel like he needed to run and hide.  
Had he been making too much noise? No, no he hadn’t said a word or even hummed. Even when he played, he didn’t make a sound.  
Did he forget to do a chore? He would run through the list in his head and find that he had done everything he was meant to.  
The man never offered to help with homework, so that was immediately out of the question. Did he even know what grade L was in?  
The silence and foreboding presence of his father made L want to shrink in on himself, apologize for something he wasn’t even sure he had or hadn’t done, but he dared not look away as if his father was a predator ready to jump it’s prey the second it looked anywhere else, or showed weakness.  
“Tell me when dinner is ready.” The man’s gruff voice was deafening in comparison to the previous quiet. L just nodded frantically; his voice stuck in his throat. When his father had turned and disappeared back into the office, the loud closing of the door behind him, the air came back into the room and L finally let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.  
Liam Lawlight was a terrifying man. His gruff voice, large body, and the face that looked permanently angry and disappointed commanded the courtrooms. Fitting last name, L supposed. Lawyer Lawlight, a man that demanded your respect, and if you didn’t give him that, he demanded your fear.  
L never understood how his mother, Lucille, had ever ended up with him.  
Shaking himself out of his memories, L decided that he had had enough of the silence and turned on the TV. It didn’t matter what was on, he rarely ever payed attention to television, anyway, he just wanted the noise. Though he did watch a few moments of the screen, he quickly dismissed the idea of paying attention, but he was grateful for the noise.

Light hummed as he collected the fruits of his labor into a small cooler, the small layer of ice slowly turning red as he carefully laid out the cuts of flesh in the container. The neck is always good for Hungarian goulash. The front shoulder? Light sat for a moment as he tossed the idea around; the shoulder was a slow cook cut, and the guy was a larger size, so a slow cook in lowish heat for a long time would make the meat cut-it-with-a-fork soft, but then again, it would take some work to tenderize. Pursing his lips for a moment, Light decided he’d take it, just in case, and cut away a chunk of the upper arm. It was always good for a slow cook, too.  
Eyeing the ribs, Light nodded to himself and broke the ribs one by one before cutting away the skin and setting it all inside his container. It wasn’t quite as full as he’d like yet, so he turned his attention back to the corpse.  
It had been easy for him to get the man to allow him inside; the normal “my car broke down and I need to call a friend to pick me up” story. He may have felt sorry for taking advantage of such a helpful stranger if he had been a better person, but he wasn’t. Did the guy even think to ask about Light’s cell phone? He asked about the cooler and just accepted that Light had been picking it up from a friend after work, but didn’t think about the object practically everyone always has on them? Didn’t he think to notice that Light kept both hands in the pocket of his sweatshirt?  
Clearly not, but Light wasn’t going to bite the hand that feeds. Too many bones.  
Eyeing his work, all the ribs cut away, Light reached into the chest, his gloved fingers examining the exposed lungs. They had no more damage than the next person’s, so this guy wasn’t a smoker. Plus, these were a good source of iron. Cutting away a decent chunk, Light set it in the cooler, decently pleased with his collection.  
Standing up, carful not to slip in the blood, Light collected his bloody hammer and cooler of goodies that would keep him fed for a while, leaving through the back door and kept to the shadows as he made his way the short walk home.  
He should probably text L after he got cleaned up, too.

L nodded to the tired waitress as she sat his order down on the table with a smile. “Anything else I can get you?” she politely asked.  
“No, thank you.” L declined, leaving the waitress alone as he began to pour the strawberry syrup on his waffles, waiting until the container was nearly empty to decide he was satisfied.  
As he began to eat, he couldn’t help but savor the taste; last time he was here, he had been with Light and too nervous to really taste anything. The last time he had been here and really tasted the waffles, he had been young. Too young to have been here by himself, in hindsight.  
His lips twitched as he thought of what he must have looked like, then: a little boy, thin and small in old clothes that were too big on him, with a mess of dark hair, permanently tired and so pale he looked dead, devouring three plates of food before paying in crumpled up dollar bills, leaving the same way he arrived; alone.  
Looking back on it now, he’s surprised no one called the police or something to check in on the starving eight-year-old that came and went without an adult.  
Maybe he just did it so often they got used to it? Then again, if they did get used to him, wouldn’t they have noticed his sudden absence?  
No, he blended in with the background too well. They probably didn’t even notice that he was alone the whole time.  
Pushing those thoughts away, L popped a perfect bite of strawberry waffle, strawberry syrup, whipped cream, and an actual strawberry piece into his mouth, a groan of satisfaction coming from his throat that he was glad Light wasn’t there to hear. L was sure it sounded almost pornographic and was glad the waitress had left him alone in the eating area. Speaking of Light. L pulled his phone out and felt his lips twitch at the photo of fresh cupcakes Light had sent, explaining that he had made them from scratch.

I must admit, they look delicious.  
-L

They’re yours if you want them. I’m not much of a sweet’s person, I just like baking.  
-L.Y

So, do you normally bake this late at night, or only when you can’t sleep?  
-L

Haha, no. I made them earlier today. When I can’t sleep, I read.  
-L.Y

L hated to admit it, but when Light had failed to message him a few nights ago, L had been afraid he’d said something wrong. He’d done it before with other people, many times. Arma said he “couldn’t read the room”, and it had never bothered him until he thought he had upset the man. He was embarrassed to think of the excited smile that he had when Light had said he had been busy cleaning and couldn’t get ahold of his phone that night and continued like normal.  
L popped a strawberry in his mouth, ignoring the stickiness of the syrup on his fingertips before wiping his hands off on his jeans when he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket.  
“Carol?” L questioned after answering the call.  
“Hey L, we’re needed down in the lab. Think you can come in?”  
“Of course.” It wasn’t a question, really. “I’m not too far away, I’ll be there in a few moments.”  
Quickly paying, L climbed into his car and somewhat sped since the streets were quiet, and he had a morgue to get to.

L nodded in passing to the dieners who seemed to also be partly asleep as they waited to the side of the room, and glanced to Arma and Carol as he entered, pulling on his lab coat and hurrying to get ready. “Why am I not surprised that you got here in less than,” Carol checked her watch, “ten minutes?”  
“I wanted waffles.” L explained as he washed his hands, grabbing a pair of gloves out of the box that Arma held out. “Besides, I got here quicker than I would have if I had been home, and in situations like this, you can’t be mad.”  
L stood by the table and waited until Carol nodded to both L and her daughter, a sign that this would be different than what they usually expected. Carol broke the seal of the bag, Arma had pulled out her camera. After the necessary photo was captured, and the spots in everyone’s vision from the flash were gone, Arma pulled out her clipboard, set the tape recorder close to the examiners, and L began.  
“The date is October eighth, two-thousand and eighteen, the time is,” L glanced at the clock on the wall opposite himself, “One forty-two, post meridiem.”  
The dieners, with heavy lidded eyes, the same ones from the last one, L thinks, carefully pulled the bag away from under the body, and Arma wrote down everything L said.  
“Victim is wearing a tee shirt, cut down the middle and bloody, exposing the torso and possibly imbedding some of the fibers in the wound, a pair of dark blue boxers, also bloody though they appear otherwise undisturbed, and white tube socks.” Boring. The clothes are cut away by the diners, collected in an evidence bag and sealed away by Arma before she quickly picks up her clipboard once again, her brown eyes glassy and tired like everyone else’s. L couldn’t blame them; it was the middle of the night; most people were sleeping right now, and by the looks of it, he was the only one who had been awake.  
“Victim is Caucasian, male. Forty-eight to fifty years old. Two hundred forty pounds. Balding at the top of the head with greying blond hair on the sides, and a goatee covering the chin and lips.” L held the eyelids open for Carol as she used the tool to roll the eyes so they could check for color and discoloration.  
“Eyes are brown, the cornea is cloudy, meaning he’s been dead for at least two hours as of this moment, with no other abnormalities present at this time, though based on the stage of decomposition, Victim has been dead for twenty-four to seventy-two hours.” Carol set her tool aside and caught herself as she went to rub her tired eyes but caught herself before she could. Maybe L should do this alone?  
L watched at Carol turned the head to its side “The back of the cranium has signs of blunt force trauma.” L announced after studying the bruising on the back of the bald head. “the chest cavity arrived completely exposed; the lungs and ribs are missing, though what remains of them show signs that they were broken postmortem. The surrounding skin has lacerations, most likely from a blade. The upper right arm, the front of the right shoulder, and throat have identical laceration patterns. The lack of defensive wounds and the injury to the back of the head suggest that the victim was attacked from behind. Clean lacerations and the stage of decomposition present in the throat suggest that the victim was already dead when the first cut was made, though we can’t be sure as most of the throat is missing…”

The night seemed to drag into the early morning. The sun would be up in a couple of hours by the time the autopsy was complete; the dieners had sat down in the office and dozed off before Carol woke them up to tell them they were finished. Carol and Arma didn’t look much better; their normally neat hair somewhat disheveled, glowing smiles replaced with yawns, and eyes struggling to stay open. L ended up driving them home, himself. Carol was so tired that she not only handed L the keys to her car, upon his asking, but also didn’t even argue when L insisted that he walk them up to their door and reminded them to lock it once inside. After wishing them a good night, and getting unintelligible mumbles in return, L still checked that the door was secure even though he had clearly heard the lock shift into place, just to be sure, and made a mental note to drive Carol’s car over before work. It wasn’t a long walk, but it made L feel better, knowing Carol and Arma wouldn’t be walking.  
Climbing into his own car, L pulled out of the driveway and started home when he remembered Carol had mentioned that Light was a neighbor of theirs. L couldn’t help but glance to the sides every so often, wondering which one was Light’s.

Upon arriving to his house, L noticed Mochi asleep in his cat tree. Deciding not to bother his companion, L sunk into the couch, pulling out his laptop and doing some research.  
He had some theories about the killer, but he needed to know a little more before he suggested anything to the investigators.

Light had been preparing to make breakfast before his morning jog when he noticed the headlights shine through his blinds. Curiosity getting the better of him, knowing that none of his neighbors usually left or arrived home before him. Peeking through the blinds, he watched as a car parked outside of the Jones house and felt his heart flutter when he remembered who drove it. He could faintly see the outline of L in the driver’s seat, but he appeared to be talking. Looking a little closer, he could see two other figures in the car with him. Considering where he parked, he could reasonably guess that it was Carol and Arma. His guess was only proven when he watched the three exit the car, L walking with the mother and daughter up to their front door.  
A sick feeling settled in his stomach until he watched the two women enter their house, L following them.  
Light couldn’t explain why he didn’t want L to follow the women inside, he just knew he didn’t. The thought made him want to yell, but that disappeared when he watched the lanky man remain on the porch as the two women disappeared into the house, the door closing behind them, and L shuffled back to his car.

I think I just saw you at my neighbors? Everything okay?  
-L.Y

Our job had an emergency. I’ll explain later, but right now I have a very important question. Are those cupcakes still available?  
-L

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took longer than usual. I know I'm within the two week schedule but I try to aim for once a week, even with the holidays and a stomach bug.  
Feel free to share if you have any criticism or feedback, good or bad! And thanks for reading!


	6. Cleaning Up

The smell of bleach clung to the air so thickly, Light could almost see it floating around his small home. Sure, he could have cleaned the cooler outside, but then that would damage his lawn, and though the scent wouldn’t be as strong outside, he didn’t want to risk any neighbors coming outside to see what the source was. Then he would have to make an excuse as to why he was scrubbing the container with bleach, even though it looked clean. Besides, he kind of liked the scent of the strong chemical. It made a small warmth bloom from his chest; it smelled like a Sunday.

When Light was young and in house number four, Sunday mornings would start bright and early, little Light would be woken by the strong scent of cleaning agents, but the most notable one would be bleach. His little feet would walk down the stairs, the early morning sun shining bright through the kitchen window. He couldn’t quite remember the woman’s face, but he remembered that she would sing and dance along to the tunes on the radio as she cleaned. He’d watch her for a moment, slightly confused at her behavior but it still made his lips curl in a slight smile.

The woman would look at him, take his little hand in hers, and continue to dance, encouraging Light to do the same. He had asked her once why she cleaned the way she did; he could remember a smile as she explained that it made cleaning fun. She had him do it as well, singing words that didn’t match the song that played, and dance in a strange way like he didn’t quite know how to move his body, like an awkward puppet on strings that was being shaken, and it would continue well into the afternoon, when the entirety of the small house was clean.

The scent of bleach would fill the spotless house, and Light’s face would hurt with how hard he had been smiling and laughing.

Warmth bloomed in Light’s chest at the memory. He wished he could remember the woman’s face, or even her name, but those had long faded. He only remembered the woman and her little home as “number four”.

Light sat back from his task and rubbed the sheet of sweat from his brow, his light brown hair being pushed to the side. He had been cleaning this for an hour, it was time to do the test.

After rinsing and drying the plastic container, Light collected the small bottle of Luminol, sprayed the inside and outside, and turned off the lights.

Nothing glowed.

Smiling to himself, pleased with his work, Light flipped the switch and rinsed the cooler again, setting it aside. With his cleaning duties finally finished, he could continue his newest project.

L bit his lip, his lithe body swerving as he navigated his way around the people who rushed by him, not even noticing his presence. If he didn’t, they would crash into him, spilling whatever coffee or stack of papers they were carrying, and by social convention he would have been obligated to help them and either accept their half assed apology for running into him, or apologize for running into them, even though he was not the one at fault. He had better things to do.

Finally finding the door he needed, he entered and fixed his eyes on the small group of people inside.

“L? What are you doing in here?” officer Charlie’s brow furrowed.

“Fuck that, why the fuck didn’t you knock?” one of the men asked, “We’re working on a case in here and-”

“Do you have any theories yet?” L questioned.

“Who the fuck is this guy?” the same man asked, rudely pointing at L as he looked over his shoulder to another person that stood behind him, who only gave a shrug in response.

“L Lawlight.” L held up his medical examiner pass for the vulgar mouthed one to see, hoping it would shut him up before turning his attention back to Charlie. “As I asked, are there any theories yet?”

As the vulgar mouth began to sputter about L not being allowed in here, Charlie held a hand up in front of the mans face to silence him before gesturing for L to follow him behind the desk, over to a wall where a blackboard leaned.

The board was covered in pictures of the victims, their names, dates, and the determined causes of death under them. It looked like Charlie or someone on his team had been brainstorming what could have connected them all, but any ideas had been rubbed away when something could only be found in common with a couple of them.

“We think they may not be connected at all,” Charlie explained. “other than the violent way they died. There’s nothing in common. But we believe they had to be done by the same person because of the mutilation to the remains.”

L bit his thumb as he studied the boards contents, “They all had parts of their skin or internal organs missing. Any idea why?”

“It’s possible it could be a ritualistic thing.” Charlie suggested.

“It’s different parts, different method of killings, so unlikely. Arma Jones mentioned the possibility of black-market organ harvesting with the first victim, Sarah Clarks. Her Kidneys were missing and so were various organs of the others.” L didn’t see it being very likely, considering how violent the deaths were. If it was for organ harvesting, the killer wouldn’t have risked damaging the very things they were after, but it was something. Charlie nodded and wrote the idea on the board quickly. After a moment of thought, remembering all the little details he could, L continued. “I think we could be looking at a professional.”

“You mean like a hitman?” the vulgar mouthed man barked with a laugh. “A hitman wouldn’t take the fuckin’ organs, you dipshit.”

“Unless someone wanted proof that the target was dead.” Charlie theorized.

“I didn’t mean a hired killer. I examined the bodies myself; all the cuts were smooth with no signs of hesitation or tearing, like the cuts had been practiced and perfected. It would have to be a person with some medical training, or at least a knowledge of anatomy.”

Vulgar mouth looked almost sheepish at being corrected, like a child made to feel stupid. L knew that look too well.

“Do you have anything else to add?” Charlie asked, his voice sincere.

L thought for a moment, his thumb bitten between his lips. “Weren’t there similar deaths in another city someone was looking into? Missing people?” L thought back to a passing comment Carol had made.

“Yeah but the police wouldn’t release their own findings about the bodies, let alone the crime scenes. All they could do was send copies of the missing person posters.” Someone in the back said.

“Who made the call?” L questioned.

“I did.” Vulgar mouth announced.

“Well that partially explains their reluctance.” The man sneered at L, his nose crinkling as his lip curled. “What department exactly did you speak with?”

“Homicide unit, who else?”

“Then you asked the wrong people for the paperwork about the bodies,” L rolled his eyes. “You ask for the _medical examiner_, and even then, the paperwork can only be sent to another examiner. Give me the number, I’ll make the call and get the papers, see if there’s anything suspicious or similar about those cases to ours.” L nodded to himself as he walked back around the table, where vulgar mouth already held out a piece of paper in his fingers. “You should stop smoking, by the way. Or at least hide it better.” L commented as he swiped the paper.

A few people paused, looking back and forth between L and vulgar mouth. “I didn’t know you smoked, Al?” one of them said.

“How the fuck did know I smoked?” vulgar mouth, now identified as Al, bit out.

“You have nicotine stains between your index and middle finger, but the skin is raw like you tried to wash it away.” L turned, telling Charlie he’d let the man know if he finds anything.

Light held L’s underwear to his face, letting the scent fill his senses as he smirked to himself, thoughts of his plan for tonight filling his mind; he and L had made a date. Usually Light hated dates; they were boring and awkward. On the rare occasions he went on them, it was never for the purpose of finding a partner or a way to get sex. He used them as a way to get to know his victims, find out little details he could use to get closer to them. What they did for a living, their hobbies, normal boring shit he may have cared about if he had been a better person. They would fall for his wit and looks ,and after charming them with his gentleman act, they almost never objected when he asked if he could escort them home to make sure they “got home safe”, but he’d always look around the outside any signs of an alarm system and sneak a peek inside, just to be sure. He’d wish them a good night and would leave, already planning his kill. But there were always the ones who invited him in, and who was he to deny such an easy way in? Of course, he would stall, teasing them and keeping them waiting until he had found a way to improvise instead of creating a specific way to end them.

Checking his watch, Light put his treasure back in the plastic bag and started to put it back in his pillowcase when he paused. It was unlikely L would end up in Light’s bed tonight, given his shy nature, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be prepared for if that happens. If they did end up in bed and all the rocking of the mattress made the bag slip out? Even Light wouldn’t be able to find a lie to cover that up, and he couldn’t risk L trying to run away.

Deciding to put the bag on the top shelf of his closet, Light made sure it was safely tucked away before checking his bedside table was stocked, just in case, grabbing his jacket, spraying some cologne, running a comb through his already perfect hair, and heading out the door.

L bit his thumb as he thought. The date had been made, but he hadn’t any idea what they were doing, which already put him on edge, but then Carol had told him he should dress up a little instead of his normal baggy clothes, and pestered him to do something with his hair, which put him in a sour mood. Without any idea on what they were doing, L didn’t know how to dress so he had put on a pair of black jeans that weren’t baggy, a grey t-shirt, and casual black sneakers. It was an improvement from how he usually dressed, but close enough to his normal attire that he didn’t feel like he would be stared at.

When the doorbell rang and L answered the door, he felt very inadequate compared to Light; light blue jeans and black boots, a red V-neck shirt that showed off a peek of his bare and toned chest, a black leather jacket, and a matte black helmet hanging from one his gloved hands.

Glancing behind Light, he spotted a motorcycle he could only assume was what his date had arrived on before meeting Light’s eyes.

“I think I’m under-dressed.” Light’s laugh made L blush as his mind seemed to shut down. Was Light laughing at him or at what he said?

“No, you’re dressed okay. You’ll need to wear a heavier jacket though,” Light held up a red leather jacket in his other hand, “I brought a spare in case you didn’t have one.”

L reached out, awkwardly wording his thanks as he slipped it on, stealing a glance at Light’s exposed collarbones as he slid up the zipper. The jacket practically swallowed his thin frame, but it was warm on his cold skin. Looking up, afraid to see Light laughing at how ridiculous he looked and instead seeing Light’s lip curled in an almost cocky grin, L almost ran back inside his house. That look on Light’s face made him want to shiver. “How do I look?”

“Perfect.” Light smiled. “Red suits you.”

“Um,” L looked down, his face heating up at the praise. “I, I don’t have a helmet.”

“Got you covered. Have a spare on the seat.” Light bobbed his head back, gesturing towards the bike, his hair moving a little to reveal his honey brown eyes. “You ready to go?”

“Yeah,” L took Light’s gloved hand in his, letting the man guide him to the motorcycle. L eyed the machine as they got closer, a sense of nerves overcoming him. “It’s my first time on a bike.”

“I’ll help you on. First, helmet.” Light helped adjust the chinstrap on the protective surprisingly heavy gear, making sure it was secure, even giving a comment how he didn’t want L to get hurt. “Okay now I’m gonna help you hop on. Grabbing my shoulder for balance, you’re gonna put your left foot on the foot peg, which is this little bar here,” Light pointed, “standing up on that you’ll swing your right leg over the seat the same way I did, and once you’re seated out your foot on the right foot peg.” L nodded his understanding, enjoying the smile Light gave in return before Light moved to straddle the bike.

L couldn’t help but notice how Light had absolutely no right to look as good as he did, let alone on a motorcycle. Nodding for L to get on, L followed the instructions he had been given and, though shaking a little, had managed to seat himself.

“Good,” Light praised again, his back slightly turned so he could talk to L. “Now, when I lean one direction, you lean the same way, and don’t be afraid to squeeze my hips with your legs if you need to.” L nodded again, his heart pumping in his chest so hard he could feel it. “Now, you can take your hands and either hold on to both of my shoulders or wrap them around my waist. Once you’ve done that, we’re ready to go.” Light turned back around before L could ask which he would prefer.

Foe a moment, L’s eyes flicked back and forth between between Light’s shoulders and sides. The idea of wrapping his arms around the man was so tantalizing. L reached to put his arms around Light’s sides, hesitating for a moment, thinking maybe he should just hold his shoulders. The other way was seemed too intimate.

Then again, Light did give permission to hold him that way, and it would probably be safer.

Wetting his lips, L let his arms slowly encircle the driver, waiting for his hands to be pushed away and for Light to tell him to hold his shoulders instead, but when nothing happened to indicate that Light was uncomfortable or displeased, L clasped his hands together and let them rest against Light’s abdomen and held tight.

The bike roared to life, filling L with a vibration so powerful it rattled his bones. Squeezing his legs a little tighter to keep from being shaken, L leaned close behind him as Light pulled into the street and began to drive.

Light found it difficult to concentrate as he drove. The way L was holding him so tightly, and his thighs were squeezing Light’s hips in a way that was absolutely sinful. Light’s mouth had gone dry when he saw L wearing his old jacket; the crimson color was striking against his pale skin and black hair and eyes. He almost didn’t want to give L the helmet to obscure his face, but he had to. He couldn’t risk L getting hurt on the off chance they had an accident. Not to mention, with how L was currently pressed up against him, Light could feel L’s hard length through all the layers of clothes. He wasn’t sure if it was the vibration of the bike that did it or if it was how close they were, but Light liked it. He was tempted to push back against L, just to mess with him, but had decided not to tease him about it yet.

Finally pulling over and shutting off the bike and pushing out the stand, Light tells L to hold on to his shoulder and proceeds to dismount his bike. “Alright just give me your hand and swing your leg off the same way you got on.” Light smirked at the faint blush on L’s pale cheeks as he holds his hand, and feels his chest swell when L makes no move to separate them after he’s off. “You’re a natural by the way,” Light praises, “you sure you’ve never ridden before?”

“Well, I did date a hell’s angel once.”

What?

Light’s heart sunk; L’d had a boyfriend before? A dark feeling crept over Light, one that made him want to furrow his brow and snarl. Were he and L together long? Who was he? What did he look like? Did they sleep together? Just the thought of anyone else touching L made Light want to rip their face off with his bare hands and rip their teeth out and use them t make a necklace as a trophy, a warning to anyone else who dared touch him. He’d killed gang members before, he’d do it again!

Light was about to let the questions slip when he noticed the smirk on L’s face.

“You had me for a moment there,” Light chuckled, the dark feeling that had overtaken him slipping away.

"So, will you tell me your plan then?" L questioned.

_Which one?_ "I'll admit, I wasn't sure what you would want to do, so I thought I'd go the cliché route and take you to dinner." Light held his hand out for L to take, smiling when it was accepted, and lead L inside the restaurant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I'm late! I completely forgot how people go on dates and panicked. Thank you for being patient! Let me know if you have any constructive criticism or anything you all want to see more of in future chapters!


	7. Bones and Sugar Cubes

Light smiled a little as he watched L look through the menu, little pictures of dessert just out of his vision. “Do you know what you want to get?”

“Anything with strawberries.” L continued to scan the options; his thumb pressed to his lips.

“We’ll I’d recommend the strawberry and Nutella crepe then.” Light smiled as L nodded and sat his menu aside.

“You know, I don’t think you ever mentioned you had a motorcycle?” L bit his thumb, his enchanting coal-like eyes finally fixing on Light.

“Well, I actually don’t. I don’t even like them that much, I rented it so you would think I was cool.” Light laughed, his heart stuttering at the faint smile on L’s face. “Did it work?”

“My cat is still cooler than you.” L’s eyes swam with mischief.

“I’ll have to try harder, then.”

L tried to hide it by looking away, but Light could see the faint pink coloring his pale cheeks. The strange looking man was absolutely adorable.

“If you don’t like bikes, why do you have the license to drive one?” L eyed Light for a moment, “Or did you break the law to take me think you were cool?”

“I got it as a teenager because a friend of mine wanted me to take the class with him.” Light explained, trying not to look at L sipping his drink from his straw for too long, least his mind turn to less than pure thoughts. “I prefer to read, honestly.”

“Oh,” L seemed to perk up in his seat a little, “what do you like to read?”

_A lot of the same stuff you do, apparently. _“I read all genres, but my favorites are on nature, true crime, and mysteries. You?”

As fast as L seemed to perk up, he deflated even faster. “I read the same ones, but some are also for other hobbies and work.”

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear?” _I already know what books you read. And I know what your hobbies are._

“I’m a naturalist; I collect things from nature like flowers and seeds, but I,” L looked at his long fingers that rested on the table, his gaze unmoving and his voice an unsure whisper, “I have a few eggs but I mostly collect bones. I also enjoy lepidopterology; collecting butterflies.” L almost sounded nervous to name these hobbies of his. Light supposed that was to be expected since it was a rare interest and did involve dead things, so most people would be put off by the idea. But, then again, this information could be useful.

“That’s interesting. Could you tell me more?” Light knew he was a good actor; he never really stopped acting unless he was alone. He would pretend to care about everything everyone else did, but for once, he didn’t feel like he was acting when he asked L to tell him more about his unusual hobbies. Seeing L’s ebony eyes look up, widened with shock at Light’s curiosity and willingness to listen, plus the way he spoke like an excited child as he described his collection made Light smile without force.

L felt like his mouth was going faster than his thoughts, for once. When Light had asked about hobbies, L was sure that Light would be put off by his, but when Light asked to learn more about it and asked about L’s collection, it made his heart beat a little faster in his chest. Even after their food had been served, Light still listened to him talking about how he found bones or eggs to add to his display cases.

“How’d you get into this hobby? It sounds like it’s uncommon?” Light asked, taking a bite of his food.

“Oh, I uh,” L’s face felt heavy as an unwelcome memory began creeping up to the front of his mind, “I just always liked this kind of stuff.” L quickly popped a strawberry in his mouth so he wouldn’t have to answer right away if Light asked a question. Thankfully, Light was taking a sip from his drink when L swallowed the sweet fruit and gave him an opportunity to change the subject. “What about you? What do you do in your spare time?”

“I like to cook and bake.” Light smiled. “I actually do it so much that I make too much and give most of the stuff I make to my neighbors.”

“I think Carol mentioned that.” L commented. “Is there anything in particular you like to make?”

“If you’re asking if I make a lot of Japanese food, the answer is no.” Light smirked.

“I was asking more about your baking.” L corrected; his eyes fixed on the beautiful honey brown of Light’s eyes.

“Well, there is one dish I make that combines cooking and baking. I don’t mean to brag, but I make a really good shepherds pie. Maybe next time I make it, I could give it to you?”

“I only eat sweets.” L emphasized his point by taking a bite of the crepe he had ordered.

“Well I’ll just have to make you something sweet then.” Light gave a smirk, his eyes darkening with a primal look that made heat pool in L’s stomach. L decided he didn’t hate the feeling.

L wasn’t a person to believe in religion or a god, but as the vibrations of Light’s rented bike ran through his body, he prayed to any deity out there that Light was too focused on driving to notice that L had an erection and, much to his own horror, had to press and hold himself on Light as tight as he could so he didn’t fall off, or jump off before Light could notice his condition.

Light pulled up to the curb outside of L’s house, helping L off the bike and walked L up to his front door. “I had fun tonight.” he smiled.

“I did, too.” L felt his cheeks heat up a little.

“So,” Light seemed to flush, his perfect hair falling into his eyes as he looked to the porch below them before meeting L’s eyes again. “I uh, I was serious earlier when I asked if I could see your collection. If you want to show me, that is.”

L brought his thumb to his lip as he tried to consider the situation but found that his mind had shut down like a computer and only offered an “error” sign when he tried to think. Unsure of what else to do, L unlocked the door and gestured for Light to go in first, unable to help from catching the scent of Light’s cologne as he walked by or the way it made him want to melt and slip between the cracks of the wooden porch below him.

Following Light inside, L sat his keys and wallet in the small bowl by the door, watching out of the corner of his eye as Light casually looking around the foyer.

“Please, follow me.” L lead his guest from the foyer to the family room, turning to the wall to his immediate left. “These are just a few of my display cases,” L bit his thumb, his heart pounding in his throat as his mind finally caught up with reality.

Light smiled a little, his eyes scanning the cases with interest. “Tell me about some of these, please? This is really fascinating.”

“Well, which do you want to know about?” L watched as Light continued to look over the display.

Light hummed in thought as he seemed to carefully select one, before pointing to a case that showed two fair-sized scorpions. “How’d you find these little guys?”

“That’s the emperor scorpion,” L smiled around his thumb, “and the one on the left of a female. There are none around here, so I had to buy those.”

Light leaned in closer to the case like a curious child, his eyes scanning the preserved forms. “How can you tell?”

“I can’t take them out, but the best way to tell is to look at the pectines—these are small comb-like appendages on the underside of the abdomen.”

“Good to know if I ever go camping in the desert.” Light smiled.

“As long as you stay away from the rainforests and savannas in West Africa, you’ll be safe.”

“Noted.” Light returned to looking over the specimens L had collected, asking about ones that interested him, listening to L talk about where they are from and other facts that made him sound like an episode of National Geographic.

Before long, Mochi wandered up to L, rubbing against his leg and purring as he was picked up. “And this is Mochi.” L smiled as he scratched behind the felines ear.

“Ah, the one who’s cooler than me.” Light got closer, taking one look at the beautiful brown and crème colors of its tabby coat, before reaching out to stroke the animals head, receiving a purr in return. “You’re right, he absolutely is cooler than me.”

L smiled at Light as he continued to coo at the pet, baby-talking to Mochi and scratching his chin. Something about it was pure.

Eventually, Mochi had his fill of attention and jumped out of L’s arms, leisurely walking around the room.

“So cute.” Light spoke so softly, like it was an intimate secret to whisper.

“Yeah, he’s my baby.” L nodded, watching as the cat walked out of the room with a causal whip of his tail.

“I wasn’t talking about him,” Light smiled, his honey eyes warm and gentle as they fixed on L’s face. “But he’s a cute cat, too.”

L looked back to Light, pressing his lips into a thin line as his cheeks colored brightly. How had he not noticed how close they were standing until now? He could feel the faintest warmth coming from Light’s body, a welcome sensation compared to the chill in his home. This close, L could really analyze Light’s features, though he was barely controlling the urge to reach up and touch the handsome face with his fingers. L’s eyes studied every detail in the man’s face, every line, every sharp feature, even the small specs of golden brown around the pupils of honey colored eyes, but he couldn’t pull his eyes away from Light’s mouth. The way it was halfcocked, not in a smug way, but closer to a shy smile, the soft look of the skin, the dip in the middle of the top lip.

“May I kiss you?” Light’s voice broke through L’s mind, making him look back to the eyes that made warmth bloom in his body.

“I, I haven’t kissed before, but…” That wasn’t what L had meant to say. He wanted to say yes, he wanted to pull Light in, but it seemed his brain no longer functioned when Light was around. It was embarrassing, forgetting how to force the words out of his throat and having to have to remind himself how to nod instead, but Light leaned in, stopping just before their lips could touch, waiting. When L gave no sign of changing his mind, Light closed the small gap that separated them.

L was in awe of how soft Light’s lips were, how gentle his touch was, everything about the kiss was soft, almost comforting. A feeling of wanting to pull Light’s body closer to his was creeping in, a new need for touch blooming in his stomach and it only got stronger when Light pulled back.

L felt his lips twitch, longing for the touch to return, but the faint smile on Light’s face wasn’t something L wanted to disturb. “I’d like to take you out again, if you’re interested?”

“I, I’d like that very much.” L nodded.

L kept looking over his computer screen to Carol, who seemed to be stuck in her position; elbow resting on her desk, her chin perched on the heel of her palm, her eyes fixed on L with a faint smirk on her painted lips.

“You’re starting to creep me out.” L spoke around the bare sucker stick in his mouth, the candy having melted a while ago, probably staining his tongue an artificial red.

“Arma says saw Light getting home late last night.”

“And that means you have to stare at me because?” L arched an eyebrow.

“And I saw you two at dinner.” Carol responded, like that would answer everything.

“I don’t care if you saw Bigfoot, just stop staring. Aren’t you the one always saying it’s rude?” L opened his desk drawer, grabbing a piece of taffy and throwing the sucker stick away.

“How was it?”

“Somewhat tart but no more than any other cherry flavor.”

Carol rolled her eyes before fixing her gaze on L again. “Not the sucker. The date.”

L was about to say something, what he didn’t know, but the sound of the office door opening was a relief. Never had he been so relieved to see Arma.

“L, this was for you.” She sat down a thick manila envelope on his desk as she walked by, reaching into his open desk drawer and grabbing a hard candy as she walked by. “What is it?”

“Medical exam reports I told Charlie I’d look through to see if there’s any similarities between our recent victims and other murder victims that may be related.” L broke the seal and pulled a few papers out, briefly glancing over the papers but not really looking for now. “Looks like they also sent the posters of missing people as well.”

“Why would they send those?” Arma asked, leaning over her own desk to peek at the papers in L’s hands.

“There’s a few reasons why they would; first, they just want to reach as many people as possible in hopes someone will have a lead. Second, they think the missing persons are related to the killings and think these could help find a pattern or connection in the victims. If the ladder is the case, then that means they have already decided that the people are actually dead.”

“How’d you get them so fast?” Carol questioned.

“I asked that they be overnighted since we may be dealing with the same killer. By the way, Arma, I mentioned your theory on the black-market organ harvesting motive. The investigators noted it and I believe they’re looking into that possibility.” Out of the corner of his eye, L could see Arma give a triumphant smile, clearly pleased that her theory was being taken seriously, as morbid as the situation was.

“Do you want some help looking through the medical examiners reports?” Carol offered.

L’s messy dark hair swayed as he shook his head. It would be faster if he worked alone, in all honesty. The mother and daughter were smart, but L didn’t want to risk them overlooking any details.

Light held L’s underwear to his face so forcefully that if he were someone else, he would have feared he was about to break his nose, but his mind was elsewhere and the feeling of stroking his cock felt too good to really notice.

L had looked so amazing in his old red jacket; red suited the man. Blood red, covering his body, swallowing him up, a striking contrast to the pale white of his skin and coal-black of his eyes and hair. The man looked absolutely delicious.

Moving his hand along his length faster, Light tried finding release by remembering the way L’s legs squeezed his hips on the bike, his cock pressed into Light’s lower back, his long fingers so fucking close to his cock. The way his dark eyes had gone wide and a soft groan had been swallowed back when L took his first bite of the crepe he had ordered; Light was sure if L had let the noise out, it would have been sinful.

Muttering a curse as he failed to find more than a fleeting trace of L’s scent in the fabric, Light pulled the crotch of the fabric into his mouth and sucked, hoping for a taste of L’s skin, even a faint flavor would be enough, but the laundry had lost practically all traces of L.

Light just needed something, anything, to get over the edge and finish. He was so close, dangling right at the precipice of bliss, the image of L covered in beautiful red making his cock throb with a need he just couldn’t fulfill.

_These touched L’s body,_ Light continued to fruitlessly mouth the undergarments in his mouth,_ caressed his skin, his naked body…probably still has a few tiny skin cells somewhere in the fabric…his beautiful skin, even the tiniest bit could be on my dick…_

Light took the underwear from his mouth, quickly wrapping it around his girth and stroking the fabric up and down his sex, imagining invisible traces of L’s cock rubbing against his own, and groaned when release finally hit. Pumping every drop from himself that he could, Light let the fabric absorb his semen, wanting his cum to infuse with and consuming the last traces of L that were hidden in the fibers.

It had been a couple of days since Light’s date with L, and a little over a week since he had stolen the man’s underpants, and now they had been soiled in his desperate need to get off. Sighing, Light stood from his bed and planned to toss them in the trash when he paused. He had seen a washer and dryer in the utility room of L’s house; he could put them in the washer with the rest if L’s clothes, L’s skin and Light’s cum mixing together and infusing into the rest of L’s clothing. Best of all, every time the man wore the underpants, he would never know that Light had used them to pleasure himself.

Light found the idea satisfying, but then reality poked at his mind.

He had been lucky that L was asleep when he had broken in. It wasn’t hard to tell that L didn’t sleep much, and there was no telling when he would finally doze off again, let alone long enough for Light to break in. He’d need an excuse to go over to L’s house, and enough reason to be let inside.

Sitting back down on his bed, the sheets cool on his naked body, still too warm from his vigorous activity, Light grabbed his phone with his free hand and checked the messages. He had sent a few texts over the couple of days but had gotten no response. Trying not to let the feeling of being ignored creep into his mind, Light contemplated.

L’s mind was too focused on the papers spread across his coffee table and floor to notice that his lower back ached from sitting on the floor without support for too long.

He had tried only working on the papers while on the examiner’s office, but it had slowed him down too much. He had brought them home with him last night and worked through the night to get what he could done to make up for time lost.

Like with the ones he had worked on, none of the confirmed previous victims had anything in common; all different races, ages, sex, gender, height. The only thing that even suggested that it was the same killer was the brutal ways they died, missing organs and tissue.

Rubbing his head, racking his brain trying to think of something he could have overlooked, L almost missed the rare sound of the doorbell chime.

Moving his body, sore from its uncomfortable position, L stiffly walked into the foyer and looked through the peep hole, expecting to see Carol on the other side and ready to scold him for taking his work home with him.

_Light?_

Unlocking and opening the door, the man almost looked relieved to see L standing in his own home.

“Hey,” Light greeted before L could open his mouth, “I tried texting you, but you didn’t answer, and it’s been a couple of days so I thought maybe I had upset you, so I made you this.” Light held out a pale pink cardboard box in both of his hands.

L, unsure of what else to do, took the item and opened it, the scent of icing hitting his nose. A beautiful white cake with strawberries around the edges sat inside, undisturbed by the journey to L’s porch.

“So, because you thought I was angry at you, you came to my house, unannounced and without invitation, to give me a gift? Don’t you think that’s a little inappropriate? Almost stalker-ish?”

“I, I,” Light visibly deflated with a defeated sigh as he rubbed one of his hands down his face, “I didn’t think that through, but I should have. I’m sorry about that, too.”

“Am I gonna get another cake out of it?” L gave a teasing smirk.

Light opened his mouth to reply, but his voice was cut off when he noticed the simper on L’s pale lips with growing familiarity, his face lit up a little as he faintly laughed; his shoulders visibly relaxing in relief. “Do you want another cake, or would you prefer a pie?”

L shifted a little from leaning on the doorway, his faint smile growing a little as he shuffled his weight on his feet as he thought of Light’s explanation; had it really been a couple of days since they last spoke? Days and nights just blended together to him since he slept so rarely, and his attention had been on trying to get as much done in the office as he could and researching the victims online to try and find any detail that could be useful. L liked his work, as bad as that sounded, but this was the first time he felt bad for throwing himself into it.

“I,” L swallowed down his nerves, “I’m sorry I haven’t replied to your messages. I haven’t touched my phone in a couple of days. I’m doing something for work that’s eating up my attention.” To L’s relief, Light nodded, seeming to accept his reasoning.

“I get it. Still, I’ll have to bring you another cake to apologize for showing up unannounced.”

“Hm,” L glanced at the delicious looking dessert and back to Light, “how about you have a slice with me, and we can call it even?”

Light’s charming smile grew on his handsome face, making L’s heart flutter. “Lead the way.”

L’s mother had mentioned that L’s great grandparents, her grandparents, were from London and had raised Lucille’s mother to have the same proper manners as they had, and she had raised Lucille the same way, and it continued with L.

L still remembered coming home from school at three, the sound of the kettle whistling greeting him. His mother would be preparing the afternoon tea, having it ready at exactly as he walked inside, and they would sit in the dining room with the tea pot between them, a three tier stand with what she had said were traditional tea course foods and instilled in him the table manners of a “proper gentleman”. She always made him wait for the third and last course, the desserts, insisting it was part of proper manners.

Those obviously didn’t stick, as L had happily eaten his cake slice, no tiny tea sandwiches or scones in sight. Light insisted on helping L clean up the dishes and smiled as he walked by Mochi, who sat beside the table, continuing to up the small bowl of crème L had set out for him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t have any better tea options,” L leaned his back against the kitchen island, “I don’t drink a lot of different flavors, so I just used whatever I have.”

“It’s not a problem,” Light smiled over his shoulder as he sat his dishes in the sink, “I liked having tea with you. Though yours was more sugar cubes than tea.” Light teased.

“I used only seven sugar cubes; I cut back.”

“Is that right?” Light stepped a little closer “Because I counted eight sugar cubes.”

“Why were you counting?” L arched an eyebrow playfully.

“Now is no time for a subject change. I know it was eight.”

“It was seven.”

“Eight.”

“Seven.”

“Eight, and I can prove it.” Light sounded like a cocky child, ready to prove they weren’t the one who had broken a rule.

“How do you suppose you’ll do that?”

“I have a trick that can tell me exactly how many sugar cubes someone uses in their drinks.”

“Oh really? Then do it.”

“I have your permission then?” Light smirked.

“Yes, I would love to see this-” L’s lips were abruptly captured by Light’s. The softness and practiced movements of Light’s lips was so warm that L felt like he would melt into a puddle on the tile of his kitchen. When Light pulled away, L wanted to ask him to kiss him again, but his eyes were drawn to the Light’s tongue peeking out and slowly licking his lips.

“You were right; it was seven.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vocabulary;  
Naturalist: nat·u·ral·ist  
/ˈnaCH(ə)rələst/  
Learn to pronounce  
noun  
1\. an expert in or student of natural history.  
2\. a person who practices naturalism in art or literature.  
Adjective  
Oxford Dictionary  
Lepidopterist: lep·i·dop·ter·ist  
/ˌlepəˈdäpt(ə)rəst/  
noun  
a person who studies or collects butterflies and moths.  
Oxford dictionary 
> 
> Sources used when researching L's scorpion:  
Determining an Emperor Scorpion's Gender  
By Lianne McLeod, DVM  
Updated 10/26/19  
https://www.thesprucepets.com/how-to-identify-sex-of-emperor-scorpion-1239444
> 
> Emperor scorpion  
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Please tell me if you guys would like longer chapters (more than 4-5000 words)?


	8. Soundproof Screams

Light tapped his fork against the chunk of lung on his plate; it was as delicious as it looked, but his stomach was getting that tugging feeling, like it was trying to lead him to some unlucky soul somewhere to take his earlier dissatisfaction out on.

His plan had worked perfectly well. Better than expected, even; L had let him in, they had tea and cake, Light was even able to kiss L, again. So why did he find himself stabbing into the human organ harder than necessary?

It was probably the fact that he had been able to return L’s underpants without him noticing, under the excuse of having to use the restroom, but he had hoped to grab a replacement before he left. Even a sock would have done, but L had called after him to let him know the tea was ready before he could grab anything.

With an annoyed sigh, Light cut a piece of lung and brought the fork to his lips, slowly chewing to savor the taste, but finding no satisfaction. Leaning back in his chair, Light licked his lips, hoping to still taste a hint of L, but the sugary flavor was gone. A teasing memory.

Looking at the organ he had spent all evening cooking, Light knew he wouldn’t be able to truly enjoy it until his other cravings had been satisfied. Standing from his seat, he wrapped the plate in tinfoil, placed it in the fridge. He’d come back to it, later.

Light hated clubs. It reminded him of the city; too many people shoving their way around one another, noisy, the scent of filth mixed with cologne and perfume. He may have been little when he lived there, but he remembered everything too clearly.

The knowledge that he just had to be here long enough to get someone to go home with him was the only thing keeping him from breaking his bottle of beer and using it to stab people in the gut.

Looking around, Light saw many eyes on him, some of the girls twirling their hair around their fingers or guys winking at him. Normally, anyone would do, and he would have left here with someone at lest an hour ago, but he wasn’t looking for something quick tonight.

He had struck up conversations with a few possibilities, but they all fell through when either their friends dragged them away or he saw cigarettes in either purses or pockets. And he couldn’t stop comparing everyone to L, despite that he wasn’t particularly looking for someone who looked like him, again.

By the time Light finished his second beer, he was ready to go home when he noticed a girl being aggressively hit on by someone who she clearly wasn’t interested in.

An opening to win affections or trust, perhaps?

As he got closer, Light could faintly hear what they were saying.

“Come on, just let me buy you a drink.”

“I said no.” The young woman tried to sound firm, but the slight slur in her speech made her voice waver, or perhaps it was fear?

“Just one drink, c’mon. I know you want to.” What an arrogant douche.

“I’m here with my boyfriend, asshole!”

Hm, okay, maybe not someone who he could take home, but still, Light wasn’t a monster; the girl was being harassed.

“Then where is he, hm?” the guy questioned.

“He,” the girl started looking around, her dark red hair falling behind her shoulders as she scanned the crowd for her missing partner.

“Hey babe,” Light came up beside the girl, standing a little closer than necessary and flashing her a smile, “sorry, the line in the bathroom was long. This a friend of yours?”

“Oh,” a faint look of anger came over the guys face barely hidden away as he tried to keep his face calm, “no, thought she was someone else.” The guy walked away, grumbling under his breath as he disappeared into the writhing mass of bodies dancing, though it looked more like borderline dry humping to Light.

“Sorry about that,” Light said, stepping away from the girls personal space, “I overheard and wanted to help.”

“Oh my god, thank you so much,” the girl’s drunkenly flushed cheeks stretched as she smiled, holding out a well-manicured hand, “I’m Gabby.”

“Eric,” Light shook her hand.

“I, I should buy you a drink to thank you.” The girl still slurred. Though Light insisted that she didn’t need to do that, the inebriated red head insisted that she had to repay him until he relented. Gabby grabbed his hand in hers, not letting go as she led him closer to the bartender. Light took the drink she bought him but only sipped on it, though Gabby ordered a round of shots for herself as they chatted about useless things he didn’t care about until a guy came up to them.

“Gab,” the guy had a grin that was kind of goofy looking, “I thought you left without me, would’ve made the plan a little difficult.” His speech was slurred as well, and it took him a moment to realize Gabby, presumably his girlfriend, had been talking to someone, only furthering the guess that they were both drunk. And what was that about a plan?

“Shawn, this is Eric. He is, like, the nicest person!” Gabby gushed, “He got a total fucking creep to leave me alone. He’s like, superman or something!”

Yeah, she’s definitely drunk.

“Thank you, man,” the guy, Shawn, pulled Light into a hug like they were old friends, “Thanks for watching out for her.”

Okay, they’re both drunk.

“Hey, hey Shawn, hey,” Gabby’s series of tacky bangle bracelets jingling as she patted her boyfriend on the shoulder repeatedly in quick succession, her insistent and slurred speech almost comical, “I, I like this guy. I choose him.”

Shawn pulled himself off Light, finally. “Does he know, then?”

“Do I know what?” was this related to whatever their plan was?

Gabby laughed and hung on Shawn, her red hair falling into her fair face. “We,” she paused to laugh again, “we came out and wanted to find a person to have a three-way with. We’ve been looking for like, _ever_, and didn’t like, know what else to do so we came to uh,” she looked like she was trying to remember something before vaguely waving her hand around, “this place. Do you, are you interested?” Gabby smiled, resting her flushed cheek on Shawn’s arm.

Honestly, no. He had planned on finding someone to take home, sure, but not for the same reason, and he had only meant to find a single person. Still, he could work with taking two home, so Light was willing to play along. “Sure, I mean, if it’s okay with both of you?”

“Totally, man!” Shawn enthusiastically yelled. “Just follow us to our dorm.” Ah, Gabby had mentioned she as a college student. Light had lied and said he was in the same college, but he didn’t remember what school it was; hopefully it wouldn’t come up again.

“No, we can’t, we can’t go to the dorm s’cause your roommate has his girlfriend over, ‘member?” Gabby reminded him. Her slurred speech had gotten worse; maybe the shots she had were hitting her.

“He won’t mind, he’s a cool dude!”

Maybe, but one, Light wasn’t really interested in sleeping with either of these people; they were drunk and couldn’t really give consent. He may be a killer, but he wasn’t about to take advantage of someone. And two, even if Shawn’s roommate was a “cool guy”, he had a feeling he wouldn’t be cool with what Light wanted to do.

“We can go to my place, no one will walk in on us. I’ll even drive.”

“You are like, so smart,” Shawn drunkenly praised, following Gabby and Light out of the building.

The drive home was annoying; the two drunks in his backseat talking too loudly and messing with Light’s hair, and Light having to pretend he was into it and wanting to have sex with them was mentally exhausting to the point he was ready to give up on his plans and just slit their throats and dump them on the side of the road, but when they finally stepped inside Light’s home, his plan so close to coming to fruition, he strengthened his resolve, telling the couple to make themselves at home as he went to the kitchen, grabbing three beers from the fridge, opening all three and quickly dropping two pills in two of the bottles before returning to his living room.

“Here you go,” he smiled, handing Shawn and Gabby their spiked drinks, stalling as long as he could until the drugs kicked in by asking how they met, what they were going to school for, their majors, inane topics that he honestly couldn’t give a shit about, but he had to stall. Thankfully, the drugs were fast acting and, already being drunk, the couple didn’t notice that they were starting to fall asleep. Gabby even made a joke saying he couldn’t hold his drinks when Shawn was the first to pass out, not noticing that she was very close to following him.

When their breathing turned deep and even, Light loudly clapped in their faces to make sure they were out. When they didn’t so much as stir, Light went to the kitchen, opening one of the bottom cabinets and getting the key he had taped inside.

The padlock hadn’t been there when Light moved in, but the set up for it was. The landlord had mentioned it used to be used to store things in the winter but was unused until Light moved in. It still wasn’t used often, but it had its purpose. The basement was, obviously, underground so it was already soundproof, though not if you were inside the home, but Light had fixed that, himself, along with a few other modifications. He really should use it more often, now that he thinks about it.

Setting the unconscious girl down next to her boyfriend, Light stretched his back before turning Shawn over face down, holding his arms behind his back with one hand and grabbing a chain that was bolted to the wall with his free hand, wrapping the end of the chain tightly around the crossed wrists, and securing the padlock in place and checking that there was go give when pulled. Light then tied his ankles together with a length of rope thick enough nothing short of a chainsaw could cut through it. Gabby getting the same treatment shortly after Light completely secured Shawn.

Reaching into their pockets to check for anything that could be used for communication, Light took their phones and checked them for any tracking devices, satisfied that there weren’t even passwords to the phones. Light also took Shawn’s wallet, intending to burn it with Gabby’s purse, upstairs. He’d give the cash to a charity or something, but he’d have to burn everything else. Light briefly considered if he really needed to gag these two, considering the basement was soundproof, but deciding better safe than sorry, he secured silicone ball gags in their mouths, not needing to worry about them getting those off since their arms were behind their backs.

This wouldn’t be any fun unless they were awake, and they wouldn’t be for at least a day, considering the dose he gave them. He could get some sleep tonight, go to work, and then he could play.

Grabbing the phones and wallet, Light walked up the ancient stairs that creaked under his weight, turning off the single dull bulb, making sure to lock the basement padlock behind him.

Sitting at the kitchen table, Light factory reset the phones, intending to sell them at a pawnshop later, if he didn’t decide to completely break them and throw them in the trash or send them in to some electronic recycling place.

Those were easy enough; a fair amount of people kept old cellphones in junk drawers, but the wallet and purse, he’d have to hide. It was too late to start a fire in the small fireplace in the living room, so it was a good thing he had finished his project the other day; grabbing the incriminating items, Light went to his bedroom and opened his bedside table. He had made it himself, but what made it special was the false bottom in the drawer. Originally, it had been meant to store L’s underwear in a safe place, but this was a good use, too. Shoving the items in the secret storage and closing it, intending to burn them tomorrow, Light kicked of his shoes and laid back on his bed, resting his head in his folded palms.

Light nodded with a smile, telling the customer to have a good day as they left the butcher shop, the bell ringing as they passed another person coming in.

“Hi, Miss Elaine.” Light’s smile became genuine as the elderly woman approached the counter.

“Hello there, Sweetheart.” the old woman’s wrinkles around her mouth and the crow’s feet around her eyes deepening as she returned his smile, “Before I forget, thank you for that pie you made. Henry and I loved it.”

“I’m glad you and Pops liked it,” Light felt his chest swell with warmth and pride at the praise. “What can I get you?” Light heard the door to the kitchen swing open behind him, a presence he could feel standing behind him as Elaine peeked around Light’s form, her eyes going soft.

“Hm, I think my husband will do.”

“Hello, Dear,” Pops smiled as he stepped closer to the counter, his own grin exacerbating the wrinkles that came with age.

Light watched them for a moment, transfixed by the warmth that radiated from the old couple as they flirted with each other, even after having been married for so long. Something about it was so pure, like the part of ‘happily ever after’ that you never hear about.

Deciding to give the old couple some privacy, Light entered the kitchen through the swinging door and decided to help his coworker, Leeanne, with washing the plastic baskets that ordered-in food was delivered in.

Leeanne was okay; maybe a blabber mouth but she hadn’t caused Light any trouble yet, and knowing Pops and Elaine thought of their employees as family, he didn’t want the old couple to be sad, so as long as Leeanne didn’t pry into Light’s private life too much, she was safe.

Leeanne gossiped as they worked, but L had tuned her out, letting her become white noise as she blabbered on nonstop until all the plastic baskets were clean, dried, and neatly stacked, ready to be used again.

Pops entered the kitchen, a smile on his aged face as he looked at the finished dishes and back to his employees. “You know, why don’t we close up a little early? The dinner rush has already passed, and it looks like everything’s ready anyway.”

“You sure?” Light questioned.

“Of course. You two head out, I’ll take care of wiping the counters and what not.” Pops insisted.

Well, Light guessed he could use the rest of the afternoon to take care of his evening plans early and see if L was free after work.

Walking down the stairs to the basement, Light was somewhat pleased to see that the two had shifted some in their sleep. It wouldn’t be long before they woke up, but Light still hadn’t decided what to do. Removing the gags and throwing them aside for now, looking around the dimly lit room before he walked over to an old metal cabinet, unlocking it with the key ring for the basement and pursed his lips in thought as his eyes scanned over the various tools he had.

The feeling of not being sure if one is actually hungry or just bored was eerily like what Light felt now, when just last night he had been ready to make CIA torture methods look like playful fighting. _Should I go slow or all out for this?_

Looking back over his shoulder at the unconscious couple, tongue pressed to the inside of his cheek as he watched them for a moment as one of them started to shallowly stir, Light decided he’d ease into it and savor the experience since he didn’t know when he’d be able to do this again without starting up his old business.

A faint smile tugged at Light’s lip when he heard the guy start to mumble, the clinking of the chains that bound him almost louder than his words.

“Gab?” his drowsy voice struggled to come from a dry throat, his eyes barely opened when he tried to look to his girlfriend, “What the,” his eyes fluttered shut, a clear struggle to pry them open, “where the fuck?” his head hung low like he was trying to sleep sitting up without the help of Light’s drugs.

“Seth, right?” Light asked.

“Shawn.” the guy corrected. Okay so he hasn’t entirely realized where he is. Maybe Light gave too strong a dose?

“How’re you feeling, Shawn?” Light imagined he sounded like a doctor asking his patient about why they were in his office; maybe the tone came with studying anatomy?

“My head is killing me,” came the groggy reply. Shawn went to move his hand, presumably to rub his aching head, when the bindings prevented his arms from coming around. “What the…?” he looked to Light, blinking sleep from his eyes and trying look around the room as he tugged at the bindings. “What?”

“Don’t bother trying to break free of those,” Light collected the tools from the metal shelf, closing and locking the cabinet behind him. It was way too far away for either of them to even think of trying to reach it, but better to keep his collection of tools out of sight. “They’re made of steel and so is the lock. Even if you broke your hand or dislocated all the joints, you still wouldn’t be able to slip free since I wrapped them up so tightly.”

Shawn mumbled something Light couldn’t hear when the girl, - Gabby he thinks her name was? – started to shift, a soft whine about her head hurting tumbling past her lips.

“’Ah, good, your friend is awake too. Now we can get started.” Light felt a tingle throughout his body, his smile growing as Shawn tried to scoot closer to his barely awake partner, though she was out of reach, even if Light had restrained only one wrist.

“Babe, what, what’s happening?” Gabby tried to hold her head up, the loose strands of red hair falling in her face.

“Here, let’s wake you both up.” Light wrapped the wrist thong around his hand, pulling the shaft to full extension before pressing the power button, holding the brass contact tips to Shawn’s stomach for a few seconds, watching as the mans back arched and his teeth grit, a scream coming from his croaky throat until Light pulled the prod away, slowly walking over to Gabby, fully woken by her boyfriend’s scream no doubt.

“What the fuck man, get away from her!” Shawn yelled, trying to move despite the unforgiving pain in his muscles.

Gabby’s hair whipped wildly around her face as she shook her head and tried to scoot back away from Light but the chain that held her was only so long, and she couldn’t keep going back and forth to avoid the inevitable.

Light touched the contact tips to her leg for a few seconds, watching as her body reacted much the same way Shawn’s had before pulling the cattle prod away, turning it off and closing the extendable shaft. The cries of resonating pain coming from Gabby’s heaving chest and Shawn’s desperate attempts to see if she was okay filling Light’s ears as he stood there, watching them, listening to Shawn lash out at him until they both tired their voices out.

“Now that you’re both awake,” Light smiled, “I can have some real fun. Listen closely. I don’t want to kill either of you,” _yet, _“but if I have to I will. And I’ll use the prod again if either of you try anything, got it?” receiving rapid nods. “Good, good,” Light nodded. “So, here’s the deal. After I’m done, I’ll let you both go, take you both to the nearest highway and drop you off. You can call the cops after that, sound good?”

“Why should we listen to you? You already kidnapped us and, and fucking electrocuted us! And you know we’ll go to the cops, so why would you let us go?” Gabby spat.

“Because I want you to go to the cops.” Light smiled. Of course, he had lied about letting them go; not alive, at least, but what they didn’t know, would just give him the more enjoyment.

“So, Shawn,” Light turned his attention to the goofy looking young man, “roll over so you’re face down on your knees with your forehead on the ground. And remember, any false moves either of you make, and I’ll kill you both.”

Seeing as Gabby was already too far away for her to be any threat to Light, he didn’t bother giving her any instructions for now and watched as Shawn got into position, his bound hands now exposed. Seating himself on a small foot stool, Light sat beside Shawn’s trembling form, pulling the pliers from his pocket and grabbing a pinkie finger in his free hand, sliding the needle nosed tool beneath the fingernail, gripping it tightly and pulling.

The screams and cries of the man filled Light’s ears like music which faded to sobs when the nail was successfully removed from the cuticle.

“The first one is always the worst,” Light set the nail aside, intending to dispose of it later. “Well, maybe except for the thumb, but we’ll leave those for last.” Before Shawn could say anything, Light repeated the process on the ring finger, yanking the nail away, only to be rewarded with the shocked, pained screams again.

“You mother fucker!” the man screamed, his face turned to look up at Light, bloody red and tear streaked, “You’re going to fucking fry!”

“I look forward to it.” Light beamed, “But first, we have to finish up here.”

Light slipped the nose of the pliers under the middle finger, listening as Gabby cried for her boyfriend who tried to comfort her despite the blood coming from his nailbeds.

“Alright, get ready.” Light warned, not even waiting a second before wrenching the unguis from its place. Shawn screamed a little louder than before, and more blood came than normal. Looking closer at the nail held between the plier tips, Light sighed and shook his head. “It broke in half. I’m gonna have to do it again.” It wasn’t much of a chore, just annoying.

Wiping his forehead of imaginary sweat, Light stood up from his stool, letting Gabby’s bare bloody foot fall from his grip and join its bloody mate on the floor with a thud as the girl howled from her ordeal.

Shawn tried to calm her down as Light cleaned up setting the cattle prod in the cabinet and wiping the pliers down with a bleach-soaked rag.

“Alright, we played whatever sick fucking game this was,” Shawn barked, “you had your fun and we did what you said, now let us go!”

Light innocently cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean? I’m not done. We’ll for tonight I am, but not entirely.”

“You said-”

“I said I’d let you both go when I was done. I should have mentioned I meant when I was done with you _entirely,_ that’s my fault for not being clearer.” Light set the clean tool on the metal shelf, closing and locking the double doors behind him.

“You gotta be kidding me!” Shawn hissed; his snarl fixed on Light’s face like a mad dog. “You know people probably heard us, right? I bet someone already called the cops and they’re on their way right now!”

“It’s been a couple of hours since we started; if the cops were coming, they would have been here by now.” Light smirked. “Besides, this place is soundproof. I can be right above your heads and wouldn’t hear a thing.”

“Then what are those gags for, huh?” Shawn’s eyes flicked to the ball gags Light had set aside. “This place isn’t soundproof, or you wouldn’t have those.”

“You think I’m bluffing?” Light crossed his arms as he leaned against the cold metal box. “Alright,” Light shrugged. “I didn’t want you two to damage your vocal cords so you couldn’t scream for me, but if you’re so sure I’m bluffing, I wont put them back in and tonight you two can scream as loud as you want.” Light pushed off the metal door, his footsteps the only sound in the cement room, followed by the creaking of the old wooden stairs, and the sound of the basement door closing shut behind him.

Checking the clock hanging in the kitchen, Light smiled at having finished just in time for L to be getting off work. Grabbing his phone from the counter, Light opened his messages.

Are you free tonight? I’d love to see you again.

-L.Y

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information used during the cattle prod moments
> 
> 1) How Stun Guns Work BY TOM HARRIS, slide 3, howstuffworks.com  
"Stun-gun effectiveness varies depending on the particular gun model, the attacker's body size and his determination. It also depends on how long you keep the gun on the attacker.  
If you use the gun for half a second, a painful jolt will startle the attacker. If you zap him for one or two seconds, he should experience muscle spasms and become dazed. And if you zap him for more than three seconds, he will become unbalanced and disoriented and may lose muscle control. Determined attackers with a certain physiology may keep coming despite any shock."  
2) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  
Very high voltage and low current maximize pain and minimize the physical marks left on the victim.
> 
> I'm probably on a watch list somewhere.
> 
> I think in the next chapter I'll have things will get kinda heavy between Light and L, L will have his first wet dream. Probably more torture in light's basement as well.


	9. Wet Dreams

L ran his hands through the perpetual mess of his hair as he looked over the notes spread across his coffee table. He had to be missing something that connected them all; it was probably staring him in the face, mocking him, laughing at his inability to see it.

Sighing and leaning back against the couch, L brought his thumb to his lip. Maybe he should put this away for the night? As if answering the question for him, the doorbell rang. Lifting himself from the floor, L walked over to answer and smiled when Light’s face greeted him.

“Hey, come on in.” L smiled, stepping aside to allow the man through and watching as Light removed his shoes before venturing any further in the house. “Do you take your shoes off because it’s a Japanese custom?”

Light laughed a little as he removed his jacket and hung it up on the nearby coatrack. “I never thought about it, actually. Just something I did. I don’t really observe many customs or anything.”

L nodded, trying to ignore the fluttering feeling in his stomach as he led Light into the living room, but the fluttering in his stomach worsened when he realized he had left the notes and photos of the murder victims out.

“What’s all this?” Light craned his neck to look as L scrambled to collect everything and put it back in the folder. If it had been L’s personal research, it wouldn’t have mattered but these were part of an active case so he couldn’t let anyone outside of the investigators, Carol, or himself see these. Plus, he wasn’t sure how Light would feel about seeing photos and reports of crime scenes and autopsies.

“It’s just that thing for work I mentioned.” L tried to keep everything organized as he frantically collected the papers in his hands.

“Ah, so it’s my rival. Damn thing was stealing your attention, and right before I got here. The audacity of it.”

L’s lip twitched as he closed the folder and set it aside. “Well, you’ve got it now.”

“Good.” Light comes closer, his steps unhurried and his eyes fixed on L; the closer he gets, the clearer it becomes that Light’s gaze is stuck on L’s lips. When Light is close enough, he slowly leans in closer, his eyes flicking up to L’s, searching for a sign to stop. L doesn’t want to stop though; he wants Light to kiss him again. And he gets his wish.

Light’s lips meet his, warm and soft as L’s stomach becomes weightless. Too soon, Light pulls back with a satisfied smirk, his eyes now fixed on L’s warm cheeks.

“I’m really glad you wanted to see me again.” When L can only offer a nod, not trusting his voice, Light chuckles a little. “So, I was thinking maybe we could watch a movie? I mean, if you haven’t decided to kick me out.”

L’s lips curl into a smirk. “I haven’t decided yet. I think I’ll make some tea as I decide.”

“Tea sounds good.” Light nodded. “Maybe if you really want to get rid of me, you can poison it.”

“Don’t tempt me.” L turned, walking to the kitchen.

The movie credits started when Light reached for the remote, going back to the streaming service menu, though he never moved his arm that was placed across the back of the couch, over L’s shoulders.

“Do you want to watch another one?”

“Sure. You pick.” L looked to Light, silent for a moment before he spoke again. “Have you had a lot of romantic partners?”

Light paused for a moment, his eyes shifting from the screen to L. “Romantic partners? No, I’ve only had one real partner before you.”

“What happened?”

“We just didn’t work out in the end,” Light’s Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, “you know how it is.”

“No, I don’t.” L shook his head slightly. “You’re the first person I’ve felt any romantic attraction to.”

“Really?” Light raised an eyebrow in curiosity. When L nodded, Light smiled widely. “Guess I’m special, then.” Light leaned in, connecting their lips once more.

His lips were soft, sure in their movements as L froze for a moment; he wasn’t sure why, but the feeling of Light’s skin touching his soon drew him in. L turned his body to face Light, the crane in his neck from the angle becoming unpleasant, and let his mind go blank.

The smell of Light’s cologne filled the air around them, making L want to bury his face in wherever Light had sprayed the perfume and inhale the scent until it faded. Light’s body had shifted, his hands now cupping the curve of L’s hips, their touch like cradling than gripping. L wasn’t sure why, but the thought of Light’s hands touching him like so made his heart beat a little harder, and the feeling of a warm, slick tongue rubbing across his lips almost made it stop entirely.

Unsure of what else it could mean, L faintly opened his lips and timidly let the tip of his own tongue poke at Light, who accepted the invitation by allowing the muscles to mingle and invade the others mouth.

The taste of Light wasn’t something L had imagined before, but he had always imagined that a kiss, any kiss, wouldn’t have an actual flavor, like water. But thanks to the tea they drank, Light did have one; spiced and slightly citrusy. It made L’s mouth tickle and crave more; crave it enough that he had moved closer to Light, who seemed to have a similar idea; his fingertips traced along the fabric of L’s sweatpants, his hand gently guiding the right leg past his own hip so his body could move closer to L’s, and kiss him deeper.

The room had been cool thanks to the fall air just a moment ago, but now, L’s cheeks were burning and the air around him felt like warm electricity, making his body too warm with a faint, pleasurable tingle just beneath his skin.

L shyly rose his arms up from his sides, wrapping them around Light’s neck, the tiny hairs on the back of his nape tickling his forearms, and gently pulled, silently begging for them to be closer. Light guided L down onto the couch, the only thing keeping their bodies from meeting was the thin layers of clothing that no longer had a place there.

The heat from Light’s body draped over L’s changed the room from warm to sweltering, leaving the two nearly panting when one tried to pull away for air, just to be chased by the other.

L wanted to feel Light’s skin against his own, it didn’t matter what he just needed to feel Light, so he pushed his hands up the back of Light’s shirt, letting his palms move freely up and down the unseen skin, grabbing it when Light’s warm lips pulled away from his, just to land on the side of L’s pale neck. The new touch, the strange sensation made L twitch in his pants, a desperate feeling settling in his lowest stomach as Light kissed, licked, and sucked at his skin. When Light pressed an open mouth kiss to the juncture, his teeth grazed across the flesh and L couldn’t stop the soft moan that it drew from him or stop his hips from pushing up against Light’s.

The sound that came from Light was desperate, like it hadn’t quite been enough for him. L wasn’t sure if the movement was intentional or not, or if Light even meant to do it, but his hips grinded down on L’s, and soon the movements of the colliding hips became rhythmic, a game of pushing and chasing as the two men reconnected their lips, tongues tangling together and teeth pulling lips as the hot air around them practically suffocated the room.

L, feeling bold and needy, slid his hands down Light’s back and gripped the curve if the man’s ass; even through the denim, he could feel how the swell was firm but pleasantly malleable in his palms. Light’s response was to glide his fingertips up L’s sides and under his shirt, his touch a fleeting whisper that left behind a quickly fading heat and goosebumps. When Light’s fingertips grazed over L’s hardened nipple, L couldn’t help but arch his back up into the touch and buy his face in Light’s neck, his lips wrapped around the pulse point where his nose was engulfed by Light’s cologne.

Light toyed with L’s nipples, rubbing a single fingertip over them or taking the hardened buds between his forefinger and thumb, gently rolling and tugging the protruding nubs while his other hand pushed the fabric of L’s shirt up to his collarbone. Light’s breath breezed over L’s chest as his heavily lidded eyes looked down at the pale skin, his body nearly trembling as he looked at L like a meal.

Light’s lips were surrounding the areola, sucking it into the warm heat of his mouth as L’s hands frantically searched for anything to grip, his soft moans now turned into pathetic whines as the sensations of Light’s mouth and desperate grinding hips overtook him.

L could feel Light’s length through the outline in his jeans, and it throbbed against his own as they continued to move against one another. L let out a whine when Light moved lower, effectively halting their rhythm as his warm mouth and tongue licked and kissed down L’s rapidly rising and falling chest, his palms once again on L’s hips, the grip firm but allowing L to arch up into the kisses Light planted on his body, but it wasn’t enough; L whined and tried to roll his hips against Light’s firm stomach, but the movement felt like an empty gesture. Light’s hand rubbing over the outline of L’s cock felt so much like mercy, L unknowingly whimpered out a ‘thank you’ over and over again like a prayer to a giving God. L was so lost in the sensation that he didn’t notice that the teasing of his nipples had ceased and the pads of Light’s fingers were tracing over the waistband of L’s joggers, and he hadn’t noticed how the kisses on his chest had reached his stomach, and were getting lower and lower.

When the feeling of soft lips hovered over his waistline and the tip of a warm, wet tongue licking across his lower stomach registered in L’s clouded mind, and the touch of fingers hooking the top of his sweatpants, L’s hands practically flew to Light’s, holding them still. Light looked up; his brown eyes now nearly entirely black save for the thin ring of brown around the pupils. His lips, swollen and kissed red stopped their own movements, finally allowing L to think with his head and not his body.

“I want to stop.”

Light nodded, letting go of L’s pants and sitting back up as L pulled himself back to lean against the arm of the couch and fix his shirt.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Light questioned.

“No,” L shook his head, resting his forearms over his knees, “I, it all just got too…intense.”

“I understand,” Light let his hand hover over L’s dangling fingers, looking up at the pale face for permission. L’s nodded and let their hands be bonded together, the once intense heat of the room fading and leaving him wanting for any warmth he could get. “If you felt pressured, that was not my intention.”

“I didn’t. Just a lot of new,” L brought his thumb to his lips as he searched for the right word, “new sensations, and new feelings.” he explained, trying to ignore the rapid beating of his heart and will away the evidence of his arousal.

Light nodded and glanced between the television and L’s face, obscured by the untamable mess of black hair. “Do you want to watch one more movie before you kick me out?”

L peeked up through his eyelashes and hair, his lips, swollen and kissed raw, turned up in the faintest smile. “Sure.” L and Light rearranged themselves to their original seats together, this time close enough their outer thighs touched, L’s head resting against Light’s chest, and Light’s arm wrapped around L’s sides.

Light hummed to himself as he unlocked the basement door and descended the stairs, stopping at the bottom when the two people chained up to the wall looked at him, their eyes red and cheeks tacky with drying tears.

“So,” Light smiled, “Anyone hear you while I was out?” Gabby only glared through the trails of black mascara that fell down her cheeks and turned her head to look at the opposite wall.

Shawn shifted his body, so he was facing way from Light, and his bound hands presented a single raised middle finger.

The smile on Light’s face became heavy, the good mood he had been in quickly bleeding away. Still, he retained the smile on his face and walked further into the room. The couple watched him with eyes that did a poor job of hiding their terror, Gabby’s eyes even flicking between Light and the cabinet like she expected him to pull out some other torture device, but Light had no intention of using any of the big toys. Instead, he walked over to an old workbench and opened a bright red toolbox, digging through the various things inside before setting his desired tools aside and putting everything else back.

Turning on his heel, two tools in his hands behind his back and one in his back pocket, Light walked over to Shawn, who only stared at him with what he must have thought was a glare, but the wideness in his eyes, the rapid breathing, and the barely restrained tremble of his body only spelled fear.

Shawn opened his mouth to say something, but Light didn’t want to hear it; before the man could make a sound, Light collided his foot to the goofy-looking face. Shawn fell backwards, blood rapidly flowing from his nose into his teeth and groaning, too consumed by pain to notice that Light had shifted him to be on his knees until Light pushed his head onto the cold cement floor and held it there with his foot, placed and threatening to step on the sphenoid bone with his entire weight if he needed to.

Light took the slip joint pliers and held the pip joint of Shawn’s middle finger tightly in its jaws so it wouldn’t bend, raised the hammer over his head with his other hand and brought the face of the hammer down on the base knuckle. The terrified and pained screams would normally put him in a better mood, but for now, they were only white noise. Shoving the head of the hammer into his back pocket, Light brought took out the rusted utility knife and proceeded to slowly slice through the skin with a steady hand until the last piece of skin that held the digit in place was cut away. Light let the finger fall in front if Shawn’s face, who cried and howled at seeing the bloody severed digit mere inches away from his face. Light repeated the process on the remaining middle finger, this time holding it in the jaws of the pliers as he took his weight off of the screaming man’s head, squatted down, picking up its mate and holding them both up for the college student to see.

“That gesture is very rude.” Light flashed a smile and rose up, setting the fingers aside for later, putting his tools away and walking over to an emergency kit he kept down here in case of accidents or for moments like this, collecting gauze and returning to the crying man. Light retook the bloody hands in his, wrapping them with the gauze with just enough pressure to stop the bleeding.

“I’d stay in that position while you can to slow the blood flow to your hands.” Light instructed as he finished binding the fabric around Shawn’s hands and walked to the stairs, intending to debone and cook the severed fingers for breakfast in the morning. “I’ll be back down after work, tomorrow. You know,” Light laughed, “if I’m not arrested.” Closing the basement door behind him and locking it, deciding he’d have pancakes tomorrow and use the fingers as sausage links.

For the life of him, L couldn’t remember why Light had come over or what they had been doing before now, but those weren’t important anymore; Light was on top of him again, their hips grinding and chasing one another, this time nothing separated them. Light’s fist held both of their erections in his hand, his fingers squeezing as the two thrusted themselves into the tight grip. The sensation of his cock being squeezed, thrusted against, and stroked made L’s body burn, his legs tremble and his voice catch in his throat.

“You look so beautiful, L.” Light’s voice was just as labored as his own, his hips slowing much to L’s displeasure until Light leaned in and claimed his mouth, leaving no inch of it untouched as his nimble tongue roamed freely until they had to pull away for air or risk passing out, “so fucking beautiful.” Light continued.

L knew his moans made him sound desperate, and he was. He wanted more; more movement, more squeezing, more kisses, more of everything. It all felt so good he was convinced that this is what reaching nirvana felt like. “Light,” L buried his hair into the soft brown locks of his partners hair and pulled him in for another kiss, planting his feet on the bed for leverage and moving his hips faster, panting between the ravaging kisses placed upon him by his lover. “Want it, want you, want you so bad.”

Light moaned L’s name in his ear, squeezing his fingers around their erections tighter, moving his hand and hips faster as L kissed along his clenched jaw, long pale fingers gripping and pulling his hair. L’s moans started to get more desperate, more needy and wanting as a twisting feeling settled in his stomach, getting tighter and harder to ignore until it felt like his stomach was going to explode. His body tensed, his entire being close to a release he hadn’t known he needed until-

Waking, practically throwing himself up from his pillow and hissing at the sharp contrast between the cool air and the warm sweat that covered his body, L wiped his face as he tried to calm his breathing as he looked around his room. The sky was a hazy blue, the sun not even out yet but it was enough he could see around the room without turning on his lights, or his bedside lamp. Breathing finally back to normal, L let himself flop down and stare up at the ceiling while his mind calmed from its fight or flight mode. Brushing his hair out of his face, L sighed seeing that even his hair was slightly damp with perspiration, despite the chill, the air that seemed to have no effect on his lower stomach, though his legs were cold as well. L’s underwear felt uncomfortably sticky, and with a groan and a promise that a shower would warm him up, L stood, collecting some clothes from his drawers and went to the bathroom that was mercifully next to his room.

Setting his clean clothes on the counter, L stripped his tee shirt, tossing it aside and grabbed the waistband of his joggers and underwear, pulling them both down his skinny legs when L felt heat flood his cheeks.

For the first time since puberty, L had experienced a wet dream. A wave of shame fell over L as he tried not to think about how that happened when he was a maturing boy, or more accurately, how it was handled.

Kicking away the soiled clothing, L turned on the shower and stepped under the cleansing rinse, grabbing his body wash and scrubbing away as hard as he could, hoping that the memories of his erotic dream would fade away before he got to work.

L’s job was a strange one. If there was no murder, or even suspicions about a person’s death, then the medical examiners lab was silent and bland. It felt like the lab was at a standstill when there was no murder victim to examine, and it bored L to death. Still, just because there was no body to currently examine, doesn’t mean there wasn’t anything to do.

A body had come in, but it wasn’t as exciting as a murder; an elderly man had passed away, but the cause wasn’t clear; it could have been his age, but there was scarring on the tissue of the liver; the man had Cirrhosis from his years drinking, according to the nurses in the retirement home, so it could have been that his death was caused by liver failure. Still, to make sure the paperwork was done right, L had to examine a tissue sample to see how bad the scarring was to determine which had ended him.

“Lawlight,” L looked up from the microscope, the stained cellular structures replaced by the view of Charlie standing at the door to the lap. “We need you upstairs.”

Interest piqued; L arched an eyebrow at Carol who had been taking notes for his observations. “Do you know why I’m needed?” L questioned.

“Nope. You go on, Arma and I will take over.” Carol looked over her shoulder, calling for her daughter and took L’s seat as he moved away, removing his protective gear and lab coat before exiting the room, following Charlie upstairs.

The investigators all looked tired, and the foul mouthed one from last time – L thinks his name was Al? – glared while putting a piece of nicotine gum in his mouth as L walked past him.

“I thought about what you said the other day, about the possibility of the killer selling the organs on the black market, and since that’s the only real theory we have so far, I need your input, seeing as you were the one to examine the bodies.”

“It wasn’t my theory, it was Arma’s.”

“It doesn’t matter who came up with it. You saw the bodies and the conditions they were in, what do you think of the theory?”

L sighed. Arma had looked so proud her guess was being taken seriously, but now he had to take it away. “It’s unlikely. There were large sections of skin and a few whole organs missing, yes, but the rest were only partially missing. If a person was killing for the organs then they would take the whole thing, not just pieces. And the stab before the skin was cut away would damage the organs, thus damaging them and making them worthless. Plus, the black market would probably be more subtle and less obvious.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know the urban legend about the man waking up in a bathtub of ice with a missing kidney after meeting a woman at a bar? That happens; it’s an old-fashioned tactic doe an organ harvester use, but they’ve moved on to smarter ways to get what they need.

They blackmail or bribe doctors and medical examiners and have the doctor kill the patients in ways that look like something goes wrong during surgeries or of medical complications, the deaths are ruled natural causes by the examiner, and the needed organs are kept somewhere in an icebox to keep them from decaying before they can be delivered and sold.

The black market also isn’t above buying human trafficking victims or just outright kidnapping people off the street. There are even hotels that are suspected of being part of the organ harvesting trade with how many people go missing without ever being seen leaving their rooms.

Either way, they all avoid damaging the organs, otherwise they don’t get their money.” L had started biting the tip of his thumb as he explained.

“So, we’re back where we started?” Charlie sighed. L only nodded in response as he thought. “Wait, how do you know that stuff?”

“After Arma mentioned her theory I looked into it to see if it was a viable possibility. And the idea of needing to avoid damage to the organs was just common sense.”

Charlie nodded leaned over a table, a deep sigh escaping him.

“I think the victims are chosen at random,” L continued. “A smart killer wouldn’t have a pattern or kill anyone that could be connected or traced back to them. Instead, if there’s no connection or pattern, there’s a smaller chance of them being caught.”

“So, whoever our murderer is, they’re smart?”

“Very.” L nodded.


	10. Raw

Light liked the way Shawn and Gabby were watching him; Shawn tried to look angry, but the fear in his eyes was there. Gabby couldn’t hide her emotions; her face was of pure terror, and it was only worsened by the fact that Light hadn’t said a word as he got the needed objects out of the cabinet before he turned, his tools in hand and a smile on his face.

“It’s been a couple days, so I’m sure you both are hungry. I’ve brought down two protein shakes, but since I can’t let you two out of those chains and I have better things to do than sit here and bottle feed you, you’re gonna have to use this.” Light held up a funnel connected to a short tube with an opening for a mouth, a strap near the base of the gag holding the funnel in place and straps on the side to secure the object around a person’s head and make it impossible to push out of their mouths.

“No fuckin’ way, man,” Shawn bit out, “how the fuck do we know you didn’t poison it?”

“The shakes are store bought and the factory seals are still in place. Plus, it’s better if you don’t try to fight me; wouldn’t want to have to take another finger so soon or use the cattle prod again.” Light leaned in close to Shawn’s goofy looking face, feeling a grin like a Cheshire cat curl across his lips as he saw the red, bloodshot look to the dulling green irises. “Understand?” Shawn just gave a faint nod, his jaw still clenched as he tried to disguise his terror as anger. “’Good,” Light stood back up, holding the feeding gag out for display, “Unfortunately, I only have one, so you’ll have to share. So, who wants to go first?” Of course, Light hadn’t expected either of them to volunteer, so with a shrug, he moved over to Gabby, standing above her trembling form. “Open up for me.” Light held the end of the tube out, smiling widely when the redhead parted her dry, chapped lips and allowed him to fasten the buckle around her head. “Very good. Now, what flavor would you like?” Light asked as he walked over to the stairs where he had set the bottles aside, picking them up, one in each hand as he moved back over to the girl reading the flavors out for her. “I have chocolate or strawberry?”

Gabby didn’t move for a moment, just watching Light as if he was a snake about to strike her, but when he made no movements, she nodded to the bottle in his left hand.

“Strawberry it is.” Light twisted the spout, the cracking of the seal practically echoed within the concrete walls before he poured the shake into the funnel and watched as the artificial pink liquid slowly disappeared down the tube.

“Very good,” Light praised her throughout the time he was undoing the clasp behind the young woman’s head. Turning his attention to Shawn, Light walked a little slower than necessary, just to get under the man’s skin before standing over him as well. “Open.” Hesitantly, Shawn did as he was told and let the straps be fastened around his own head, but when Light poured the drink into the funnel, the liquid stayed in place. Sighing, Light held Shawn’s nose closed. He had expected some resistance from him anyway, so it wasn’t surprising. “You’re gonna have to drink it if you want to breath. The only one stopping that is you.”

With what Light guessed was meant to be a nasty glare, though it was hard to take seriously when it came from someone who looked to have been crying all night and on such a naturally goofy looking face, Shawn finally began to take in the closest thing to food he was getting. Light also praised him while he removed the gag, and silently walked back up the stairs, the feeding gag in his hands so he could clean it later.

“Thank you and come again.” Light smiled to the customer, getting a polite goodbye in return as they took their order and left.

The day had been easy so far; no huge orders, no complications, even Leeanne seemed relaxed and less gossipy. She did talk about her son, Andy, and how he was starting minor league baseball soon. Light decided to keep a closer eye on her after that; he knew she had been married before, but the kid was news to him. Thinking back, she may have mentioned her son a few times, but Light had learned to tune her voice out so much he couldn’t say for sure.

Light had enjoyed listening to Miss Elaine when she came in earlier; apparently Pops had closed the deli early yesterday to take her out on a date. It was adorable, listening to Miss Elaine gush about how they had even dressed up nicely and Henry had held her hand the whole time.

Light had wanted that and thought he could have it once. He tried so hard then, but his hunger had won.

Before he could dwell on memories best left forgotten, the sound of the bell ringing chimed throughout the store; a woman storming up to the counter with a face so red Light thought it was a sunburn.

“What the hell is this?” the woman demanded, dropping a brown paper bag on the counter.

Leeanne unfolded the wrapping and raised one of her over plucked eyebrows. “It’s liver. Is there something wrong with it?”

“Yes! I sent my husband here to get one large piece of liver and he was given a medium piece!”

“Ma’am we don’t sell sizes of liver,” Light explained as Pops and Miss Elaine shuffled out of his office, no doubt hearing the woman’s banshee screeching that reminded Light of nails on a chalkboard, “we sell different serving sizes of chicken liver if that’s-”

“No! I want to exchange this for a large piece of liver, like my husband asked for, you dumbass!”

“Ma’am, as I said, we can’t exchange-” Light was cut off when the woman reached into the bag and threw the raw liver at Leeanne, who stood there, frozen in either shock or disgust. Elaine gasped, her frail hands covering her mouth. The woman continued her tirade, demanding free things and threatening to sue as Leeanne started to shake, her eyes watering, her body trembling as she tried to suck in a breath that never seemed to be enough for her lungs. Miss Elaine hurried behind the counter, wrapping her arms around the woman and guided her out of the main area and into the office, sweet gentle assurances whispered as the two women disappeared behind the door. Light hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Leeanne as she was guided away; he knew what was happening to her, and he felt a need to help his coworker, but first, he would have to deal with the screaming shrew.

“I’m gonna have to ask you to leave now,” Light tried to keep from yelling, but he wanted nothing more than to tell this bitch off.

“Excuse me?” She demanded, “I am not going anywhere until-!”

“Get out of my shop before I have the police escort you out!” Pops yelled. Light hadn’t heard the old man even raise his voice in the months he’s worked here, but damn was that sound terrifying. Even Light felt compelled to leave.

“Not until-”

“Get out!” Light screamed; based on the momentarily terrified look on the woman’s face, Light assumed he had looked like the devil incarnate before the woman composed herself, and stomped out, her heels clacking on the floor as she threw a racial slur at Light before the door slammed shut behind her.

Now that the screaming bitch was gone, Light walked around the counter, purpose in his stride as he pulled off his apron and entered Pops’ office, where Miss Elaine was trying to calm Leeanne down to no avail. The old woman looked at him with worried eyes, even as he slowly kneeled in front of the synthetic redhead. “Leeanne,” Light spoke softly, “can you hear me?” the woman raised her head just enough for her running eyes to meet Light’s as she softly nodded. “Okay, do you need us to leave you alone for a moment or do you want us to stay with you?” a hand with hot pink painted nails held on to Light’s sleeve, a soft ‘stay’ barely heard or understood the hyperventilating breathing.

“Okay, Leeanne,” Light kept his voice calm and soft, “I need you to breath in through your mouth for four seconds, hold it for seven seconds, and breath out for eight. Can you do that?” the woman nodded, following Light as he did the same breathing pattern until she no longer was shaking with every breath she took.

Leeanne’s mascara was staining her cheeks by the time Light had calmed her down; Pops gave her the rest of the afternoon off, and Miss Elaine gave her a ride home while Light and Pops stayed at the deli. Light had taken to cleaning up the mess left on the floor, throwing the contaminated liver into the bin and mopping up the blood when the office phone rang; Pops had answered it as Light finished cleaning up, though the call didn’t last long.

“That was Elaine,” Pops said as he came out of his office, “Leeanne is home and her sister is taking care of her. Poor girl seemed exhausted; even needed help getting up the steps, and practically passed out on the couch the moment she laid down, but she’ll be fine.” The old man explained.

Light nodded, continuing his shift quietly, no one the wiser about the darkness that had overtaken him like a shadow.

Light wasn’t careful as he rapidly moved down the steps; he was still seeing red and wanted to see more.

Light unlocked and practically ripped the doors of the metal cabinet off their hinges as he pulled out the hammer and slip-note pliers. Putting them in his pocket for the moment, Light stormed over to Gabby, grabbing the top of her head by her hair to hold her in place and bringing his fist down on the side of her fair cheek and nose again and again until her mouth, nose, and chest were covered in a mess of blood, snot, and tears.

“Don’t fucking move or I’ll make you wish for death.” Light nearly growled as he moved his attention to Gabby’s feet; they were still caked in dried blood and by Gabby’s scream from them being touched, probably still sore from losing all the nails.

Light sat the bound ankles with his entire weight and held the pinkie toe in the grip of the pliers; annoyed when the girl tried to free the toe from its prison. “I can break it first or I can try and cut through an unbroken bone, or I can make it much quicker. Don’t fucking try me!” Light yelled. Gabby continued to struggle, crying that she just wanted to go home. Only further annoyed, Light turned the hammer from breaking her toes to her ankles.

Swinging the face of the iron head onto the outside ankle joint on one foot, Light could see how the knob that had been there just moments ago was now deformed and almost flat. Light did the same to the opposite ankle. The screams and cries were usually so beautiful to Light, but right now, all they did was give him a headache, which furthered his sour mood. Shawn’s screaming at him, demanding that he leave Gabby alone and insults didn’t help either of them.

Getting up from his seat, Light looked to Gabby’s face; red from screaming, tears, blood, and snot covering everything from her nose to her collarbones, and the irritating crying and pleas for Light to let them go. Light didn’t want to deal with this, tonight. Reaching down, Light’s hands were easily able to cover the slim neck, the blood already tacky and cool against his heated palms as he started to squeeze at the sides, his eyes fixed on the face that was slowly turning a deeper shade of red before her eyes finally stopped trying to stay open.

“Gabby!” Shawn cried out, his voice cracking as his face contorted into a pained grief that fascinated Light. “You fucker! You killed her!” he raged, tugging against the chains that bound him like he thought he could snap the metal if he lashed out enough.

“Shut up for a second,” Light pressed his fingers to the necks pulse point for a moment before leaning in, his ear next to the cracked lips, eyes fixed on her chest. “She’s alive,” Light nonchalantly announced as he stood up, “Just unconscious. She’ll wake up soon enough. Until, then I’ll be upstairs.” Light left the basement; his head hurt too much for this.

Light’s arm was wrapped around L’s narrow shoulder as the two sat on the couch, whatever was on the tv screen not even registering to Light as L shyly moved closer; his movements slow and cautious like an unsure animal being coaxed over by the promise of food in an unfamiliar hand. Light smiled when L had nestled into his side, the mess of black hair tickling his jawline, and couldn’t help but wrap his arm a little tighter around the man. L seemed content to watch the screen, but Light was too enamored with L having willingly come closer to him; Light pressed his lips to the crown of L’s head, a gentle sign of affection that covered his true actions of smelling L’s hair. The scent of his shampoo and a faint hint of sugar and strawberries that was uniquely L made his mouth water.

When L pulled away and looked up at Light, he thought e had been caught; the way L stared at him with those big, coal-like eyes didn’t help his worries, but when L leaned in, connecting their lips, Light didn’t waste a second to reciprocate.

The kiss was soft and gentle at first. Light didn’t remember who had licked at whose lips first, but the kiss began to grow more intense and needy; tongues teased at one another before retreating, only to be followed by the other, copying the teasing touch before pulling away, and the cycle continued until teeth- Light’s teeth?- nipped at kiss swollen lips. The kiss took on a more primal feeling, mouths trying to dominate and lead the other, breathing becoming heavy as hands began to roam freely, pulling away clothes that seemed to phase through their bodies until they were both naked, L laid out on the couch, pinned beneath Light’s weight.

Light didn’t remember prepping L, but he must have considering how he was able to bury his cock to the hilt, testicles resting against the curve of L’s ass as the paler man twitched around the intrusion of Light’s girth. Long, boney fingers of a hand gripped his hair, the nails of the other digging into the skin if his back as L panted rapidly, his heart beating so hard in his chest that Light could feel it against his own. Pressing soft, assuring kisses along L’s flushed cheek and neck, Light waited for his partner to relax around him, trying to resist the urge to move and thrust in and out of the heat that encapsulated his cock. L had buried his face into the crook of Light’s neck, the mess of black hair ghosting over Light’s clean-shaven cheek as L gave a faint nod.

“Okay, go.” The words were whispered so softly Light wasn’t sure if he really heard them, but after a cautious rock of his hips and a soft, choked moan catching in L’s throat, Light moved his hips gently, finding a rhythm that pulled the sweetest sounds from his partner.

As the movements of Light’s hips became less restrained and moved faster, L took his face from Light’s neck and reconnected their lips, still swollen and red from being kissed raw. Taking over the kiss, Light’s tongue explored the warm cavern of L’s mouth; the taste of sugar and strawberries greeting him, welcoming the exploring muscle inside. Light was too concentrated on the movement of his body, the feeling of his hips colliding with L’s to really pay attention to L turning his face to the side, panting like he just couldn’t find the air his lungs needed and leaving Light to kiss and nip at his cheek.

The taste of L’s skin, raw and flushed with warmth beckoned Light to lavish his attention on it; Light dragged his tongue across its smooth surface, feeling the heat radiating from the flush against his lips, even letting his teeth scrape across it.

The call of ‘more’ almost hidden between the moans that the pale man no longer tried to swallow, the sound of skin meeting skin, and Light’s own sounds of pleasure, but he had heard it. Thrusting faster, groaning at the feeling of L’s fingers digging deeper into his back, Light clenched his teeth. The sound he made was animalistic, savage as he bit harder and harder until the familiar taste of copper filled his mouth, and Light could feel teeth against his own.

Pulling back and looking at the man below him, L’s face and neck were covered in blood, half of his cheek completely missing and exposing his blood covered teeth. L continued to moan, uncaring that every little movement caused more blood to flow from his wound, uncaring or unaware that his part of his face was in Light’s mouth, being chewed and savored like a fine steak.

“More!” L cried out, finally turning his face to look up at Light. L’s eyes were heavily lidded, a glazed-over look to them as blood poured down the side of his face and matted into his hair. “Take more from me, Light, please, more.”

Light came at the desperate plea, his hips never stopping their savage movements and continuing to slam against L’s body, even as Light buried his teeth into L’s long, pale neck, just barely avoiding the jugular and taking just enough that the injury wouldn’t kill. L called for Light to keep going just as he had swallowed the piece of his neck, like he couldn’t get enough of Light taking his flesh.

Light buried his teeth into the faint muscle of L’s chest, taking bite after bite upon L begging him to keep going, to keep taking more and more. Light licked up L’s torso, enjoying the salty taste of L’s climax between each bite, finally moving back up to kiss L’s bloody lips, only for his teeth to sink into the chewy flesh and pull it away.

Light’s eyes pulled open, his heart beating against his eardrums as he looked around the darkened Living room. Turning on a nearby table lamp, Light touched his fingers to his mouth and pulled it away, checking for blood. When his fingers were revealed to be clean, Light sighed; he wasn’t sure if it was a sigh of relief or disappointment. After rubbing his palm up and down his face, Light looked to the coffee table and glared at the glass of water and open package of aspirin.

Laying back down, Light stared up at the ceiling, uncaring about the tent in his pants that had formed in his sleep, during his dream of fucking and eating the man who he couldn’t stop fantasizing about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I share and retweet a lot of really cool art and problematic content. might post some of my own problematic stuff soon, so if you want to question my sanity: https://twitter.com/Quinn_Ha_Harley
> 
> Sources:  
Ankle Fractures (Broken Ankle): Anatomy, Symptoms, Treatment, https://www.hss.edu/condition-list_ankle-fractures.asp
> 
> A to Z: Fracture, Lateral Malleolus, https://kidshealth.org/WellerCenter/en/parents/az-fracture-malleolus.html
> 
> How to use 4-7-8 breathing for anxiety, Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, Ph.D., CRNP on February 11, 2019 — Written by Jenna Fletcher https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324417.php (this method is pretty helpful if you have anxiety like me)


	11. Dual jobs and stalking

“Morning, Light!” Leeanne smiled brightly as she walked into the deli, her synthetic red hair tied in a bun and a smile on her lips.

“Morning.” Light returned the smile, continuing to wipe down the cash register until Leeanne returned from clocking in, her hair in the standard hairnet and a clean apron around her clothes. The pep in her steps was a striking contrast to when he last saw her; her makeup running, body trembling and a faraway look in her eyes. Turning to face his coworker, Light opened his mouth to speak but the words caught in his throat when he realized he didn’t know how to approach the subject. Deciding he could try being straight and narrow for the first time in his life, Light just let the words come out. “So, are you feeling better?”

Leeanne looked confused for a moment but understanding dawned on her features quickly. “Yeah” she nodded, “I’m fine. Miss Elaine told me you were the one to calm me down.” Leeanne suddenly wrapped her arms around Light, trapping him in a hug that made his body stiffen and his eyes widen. “Thank you for that.”

Not sure what else there was to do or say in this situation, Light simply nodded, and cautiously returned the hug until Leeanne pulled away and happily excused herself, the smile on her face unfading as she started her opening duties.

Light honestly wasn’t worried about her; he felt something akin to pity for her during her episode; the tears and shaking, uneven gasps had just reminded him of when he was little. His mother had those episodes too, but being so little at the time, he wasn’t sure what caused them. Even now, if he tried to think back to those moments in that run-down crack den apartment, he still wasn’t sure if it was a panic attack or something else. He could also hear his fathers voice, though he was yelling, Light couldn’t quite make out what the man had been shouting, but Light remembered he had been trying to make his mother feel better; protect her. The faintest memories of her curled up in the corner, knees to her malnourished body as she shook, Light’s tiny body trying to shield her from his father, or the strange men who visited them.

Shaking his head clear of those thoughts, Light decided he would check on Leeanne after work, probably take her a casserole or something. It would also mean that he could make sure her son was okay.

L sighed as he finished going through his notes; of course, all confirmed victims were chosen at random, even the missing people that he highly believed were also dead and victims of the same killer. L rolled the hard candy in his mouth, the sweet taste of butterscotch covering his tongue as he swiveled his chair around to look at one of the other investigators who had been walking behind him.

“Can I see the crime scene photos?”

“Fuck no, you can’t!” Al barked from across the table, “You’re here about the bodies, you’re not a detective!”

“I see that trying to quit smoking had made you much more temperamental.” L laid his head against the back of the chair, his eyes cast over his shoulder and on Al’s red face. “Have you considered meditation?”

“Fuck you!”

“Who’s fucking who?” Charlie sighed as he walked into the room.

“Al’s just cranky.” The investigator assured with an annoyed sigh before walking off.

L sighed, turning around in his chair as Charlie sat next to him. “I requested the crime scene photos and Al decided cursing me was the more helpful action.”

“Well he’s not a fucking detective! You already got his notes on the bodies and shit, why the hell are you keeping him around?”

“He’s observant, as you know,” Charlie reminded the foul-mouthed man, “And a fresh pair of eyes. It could be that he’ll see something we’re missing, plus he already works for the police, so he knows what will happen if he reveals any sensitive information to the public or press. And if it bothers you so much, as of now, he’s my partner. And don’t think you can complain to the chief about this; Wammy already approved.”

L felt the tip of his lips twitch a little, seeing Al pout like a child. “So, can I get those photos, now?”

Charlie nodded and went over to his desk, unlocking it and returning with a series of envelopes marked with case numbers and dates. “Unfortunately, all we have is the photos from the murders that happened here.”

“Not ideal but I’ll make it work.” L collected the files, opening the one on top. “Sarah Clarks,” L mumbled to himself, looking through the photos of bright yellow numbered markers. “Did the initial investigation of the scene have any fingerprints? Hair or fibers that could have been from the killer?”

“None. No fingerprints, hairs, all we got was a partial footprint but there was no texture on the bottom of the sole, so we can’t even identify the type of shoe they wore.”

L flicked through the pile of photos, stopping when he found the specified useless partial footprint. “Shame. If we could have gotten the brand or type, we could have checked sales records and find out who was sold that pair and go on from there.” Looking closer at the faintest line of a shoeprint. “The print is very large, so it’s most likely our killer is a male, though we can’t dismiss the possibility that they’re a woman with large feet. It’s more common than you think.

The lack of fingerprints suggests that the killer wore gloves, so we can deduce that this was premeditated and not a crime of passion.”

L pulled his jacket on as he got ready to leave for the evening, though he imagined he would end up back in the morgue before sunup.

“Oh, by the way,” Charlie called, “there’s a reporter outside trying to ask questions and get statements. Ignore and don’t talk to him.”

“When have I ever spoken when it wasn’t required?” L realized he may have sounded more sarcastic than reassuring, but Charlie should have known L wasn’t stupid.

Having left the building through the back to avoid the reporter, thus having to take the long way home, L shivered as he entered his house, locking the door behind him and proceeding to remove his coat and scarf.

“Hey Mochi,” L greeted the meowing animal that brushed against his leg. Reaching down and rubbing the brown and crème colored fur for a moment, L picked up the cat and carried it in his arms as he entered the living room, settling on the couch with the feline resting on his chest.

“So, turns out I’m a detective, now.” The spoiled cat meowed and purred as L began to scratch its ears. “It’s probably temporary. But if it keeps me out too late, I’ll make sure I bring you chicken liver more often, sound fair?” The cat continued to purr, making L smile softly and lay his head back on the couch’s armrest, pulling his phone from his pocket and snapping a picture of the cat, and sending it to Light.

Light smiled at the picture of the cat on his screen, L’s long pale fingers scratching behind the ears. Making a note to text back later, Light shoved his phone in his pocket and turned his attention to the double wide trailer. The cover of night helped hide his form in the bushes, perfect for watching the area just beyond him, and should someone find him, his jogging clothes and an excuse about losing an earbud would serve him fine.

The lamppost gave a warm orange glow that did its best to illuminate whatever it could reach, but only managed an almost eerie light, but it seemed to be enough for Leeanne and the boy she was playing a small game of baseball, though it was more like she would toss the ball and chase after it after the kid hit it with the bat in his hands, returning to repeat the process as she praised the boy.

Light could only assume the kid was her son, and it was only confirmed when Leeanne had said it was time to call it a night, but the boy begged for one more round.

“Please mom? Please? Just one?”

“Alright, but immediately after you brush and go to bed, got it?”

The lamppost allowed just enough illumination that Light could see the smile on the kids face as he nodded and took his stance. Light could faintly see the smile on his coworker’s lips as well as she through the ball, and the pride in her face as her son struck the ball again.

“Alright,” Leeanne’s velvet red hair stuck to her temples as she collected the ball and jogged back over to her son, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and guiding him inside, “we had a deal. Off to bed with you. You have school tomorrow.”

Light watched as the mother and son climbed the small wooden stairs and disappeared into the mobile home, waiting until all the lights had turned off before leaving his hiding spot and resumed his jogging, his mind a little more at ease now knowing that there appeared to be no signs of a dangerous place for the kid.

Still, he’d have to find an excuse to get inside the trailer, just to be sure. Appearances can be deceiving, and Light was living proof of that.

Though that concern was laid to rest, different things had started to invade his mind during his jog; flashes of his dream the previous night filled him with a hunger he couldn’t quite place. It was like an amalgamation of puzzle pieces that fit together but didn’t form a whole picture. His stomach rumbled and his mouth watered at the brief images of eating L, but his cock throbbed as he thought of fucking L until his body refused to move anymore, his heart pumped in his chest at the thought of killing the man, but he also couldn’t bring himself to hurt him, even when he had the perfect opportunity to, just the other night; their bodies writhing together as Light’s mouth caressed the pale skin of L’s stomach, chest, and neck. Hunger had nearly overtaken him in those moments; when his lips and teeth grazed over the side of L’s neck, Light wanted to sink his teeth into the flesh and rip it away, taste the raw flavor of the man who had taken over his mind. But he didn’t, he couldn’t, no matter how hard he tried to force himself to bite down until he tasted blood.

Light had intended to kill L the first night they met, even gave chase for a bit until the man had disappeared into his house. Light was even willing to admit that he had originally started trying to pursue L because he wanted to kill him, part of him still does, but now he’s not sure if that’s really what he wants now.

Watching Pops and Miss Elaine, Light had felt a hole in his chest; they were what happened after the “happily ever after”, but Light saw that as something beyond his reach. He had tried, genuinely tried before to have a real relationship with someone, but hunger and habit had won.

L looked up from the photos he was studying when a familiar form stood out of the corner of his eye, hands perched on cocked hips clad in grey slacks. Looking over, Carol stood at the end of the table, her eyes firmly fixed on Charlie.

“Officer Daniels,” her voice sounded like she was forcing a friendly tone, even the smile on her face was forced, “When will I be getting my assistant back?”

“I’m sorry, Doctor Jones, but for the time being the homicide investigators unit requires his service.”

L hated this; people talking about him like he wasn’t right there in front of him. It brought back memories of sitting in the middle seat at the dinner table, his parents on opposite ends in more ways than one. L felt the need to raise his hand and ask to be excused, a reflex that he thought had long since been buried.

“Well, when were you going to tell me he has been assigned as your partner, hm?” Carol raised her eyebrows, her face and tone like that of a mother upset to learn that her child had been keeping secrets from her.

“It’s only temporary and-”

“Excuse me.” L was surprised he had been able to keep his voices calm and collected tone despite the agitated feeling that had crept into his body. “I have a solution if you don’t mind. I will continue to work my normal hours in the medical examiner’s lab and office, and outside of work, I will continue to assist the investigation as an outside source in addition to examining any more bodies that the killer leaves. I will also be Charlie’s partner, when there is another suspicious death called in. If it’s determined that the death is possibly linked to our killer, then you will also call Carol and Arma to the scene. If I determine that the death is not related to the case, I return to my normal duties.”

Charlie and Carol both slightly nodded, tossing the idea around in their minds as they considered the possibility. “What if there’s a person I need to interview?” Charlie questioned.

“Then I will assist, of course. Of course, this will have to be cleared by Wammy, but I believe this would be beneficial to all involved.”

“Alright,” Charlie leaned forward, “Of course we will have to visit the chief when-”

“I already did.” L casually informed. “I spoke to him this morning, and he approved. The arrangement starts effectively immediately, now that I’ve informed you both.” L lowered his feet from the chair he had been sitting in and stood up. “I had planned on telling you both today after work, but this was convenient. Charlie,” L collected his personal notes from the table, “I’ll need copies of everything from crime scene photos to reports from the first responders and statements from any witnesses, and or friends and family of the deceased. If there are any developments or if you need me, I’ll be assisting Carol in the lab.”

L walked out of the room, Carol following behind him as they made their way downstairs. L noticed he was walking a little faster than normal, eager to get back to his usual duties.

“L!” Arma tossed her clipboard to the side, practically sprinting across the room and encasing L in a hug by wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Hello, Arma.” L stiffened, looking over at Carol for assistance only to see her poor attempt at hiding her smile.

“She missed you.” Carol assured.

“No, I’m just happy you’re back because mom has been making me do the cleanup.” Arma retorted as she pulled away from L, his body relaxing and freeing him to walk to his desk, and open the drawer he kept his candy in.

“We didn’t touch your stash.” Carol assured with a roll of her eyes.

“Well,” Arma shifted her weight to her other foot, “I did a little.” Arma confessed. L looked up; his irritated glare fixed on the blonde. “I’ll by you more!” she threw her hands up defensively. “Jeez. It was only a couple of mini chocolate bars.”

L rubbed his face as he lowered himself into the bath, letting the warm water soothe his body. Work had piled up in the lab while he was working with the investigators and it had left him mentally exhausted.

Finally, able to be alone, L was able to relax once more and decided to treat himself to a bath, and he was glad he did. The world melted away when he laid his head back against the porcelain rim of the tub, eyes closed as he let his mind wander.

Light seemed to be a popular thought; his smile, his handsome face, his wit. It charmed L but the more he thought of Light, the closer his mind got to remembering how L felt riding on the motorcycle, his arms wrapped around Light’s sides and his face pressed into the mans muscled back, and the vibration of the motor mixing with being wrapped around the man making him hard in his jeans.

Then there was the other night on the couch; as L thought of those noises and the feeling of Light’s touch on his skin, his own hand had started to crawl down his torso, getting lower and lower, following the same trail Light had made when he kissed down L’s body, but instead of stopping where Light had, L’s hand crept lower and lower until his fingers grazed over his hardened length, making his hips stir ever so slightly.

His breath wavered as he allowed his hand to work him over, silencing the world around him and allowing himself pleasure.

Light peeked in through the windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of pale skin or messy black hair, but all the dark windows revealed a silent home. It was like no one lived there, and the inside was frozen in time. L was probably asleep, so Light would have to be quiet.

Quickly using the lock picking kit, Light let himself in through the back door, closing it behind him before he quietly crept around the dining set, looking through the half walls arch into the family room. The tv was off, so Light had to wait for his eyes to adjust to the darkness before he could see that L wasn’t asleep on the couch like last time.

Light continued to quietly move across the family room and down the small hall, letting himself into the laundry room.

It had been so long since he was able to bury his face in the scent of L’s skin, and he needed it again, but with a huff, Light found that all the dirty laundry had been washed, and the clean items all smelled like detergent and not L’s strawberry scent.

Light wasn’t going to leave here without something. With a sigh, he left the laundry room and found the stairs and quietly crept up, listening for any sound that would indicate that he wasn’t alone, or a sound that would give him away.

When Light reached the top of the stairs, he looked down the small hallway that, if his memory serves from the last time he invited himself in, lead to the second story main bathroom, a linen closet and L’s bedroom.

The light shining from under the door to the bathroom was enough to tell him where L was; bathing, his naked body wet and shining, black hair sticking to his face…the image made warmth bloom in Light’s lower stomach as he silently moved closer to the door.

As tempting as it was to try and peek through the bottom of the door or open the door just a crack to see, Light didn’t want the first time he saw L naked to be without consent. But he could hear something, soft humming and gasps, the sound of water swishing with movement almost completely covering the sound of the shyest moans Light had ever heard. Was L thinking of him? Was his other hand teasing his nipples? Gripping the rim of the tub as body demanded more pleasure? Or was it below the swishing water, fingers buried inside him? Light shivered at the image and pressed his forehead against the wooden door as he began imagining himself between L’s legs, fingering the man, opening him up for himself. L’s cock would be right in front of him…teasingly close to his lips.

Before Light could realize what he was doing or stop himself, his imagination had taken over and he licked the door. Too aroused to be embarrassed, Light sat down, back against the door and head turned to he could still hear L’s beautiful sounds; Light reached into his pants and began to stroke himself, timing his thrusts with the sounds of the water swishing back and forth, figuring that L’s arm was the cause of the sound. Closing his eyes, Light listened closely as L mewled and whined, his breath catching in his throat and bitten back moans.

Light guessed L must have already been close since it took only a few moments for him to reach his climax; Light had hardly even started but hearing the black-haired man finish, even as muffled as it was, was a beautiful sound.

Ear still pressed to the door, Light listened to the sound of the tub draining and the sound of the sink running; L was probably brushing his teeth before he went to bed.

Light’s eyes flew open when he remembered why he was here, and the sound of the running tap only meant L was about to leave the bathroom. And find Light.

Moving as quickly as he could without making a sound, Light ran into the room on his left, pausing when he realized he had hidden in L’s bedroom, if the display of small animal bones and insects were any indication. Briefly considering the layout, Light realized he wouldn’t be able to leave the room and go down the hallway the bathroom door faced without being seen. He had effectively trapped himself. Seeing no choice, Light cursed the cliché and hid himself under the bed, forcing his body to contort into a position so that all his long limbs were tucked out of sight.

Barely a few seconds passed before the dark room was illuminated, L’s pale feet patting across the floor, coming towards the bed. Light held his breath, not wanting to make a single sound that could risk him being caught. The sound of a bedside lamp clicking on and a towel dropping to the floor assured him his presence was ghost, unknown and unseen before L turned to the dresser to the right and pulled on some clothes.

Light’s eyes were fixed on the towel that had been casually discarded, left on the floor and close enough Light could reach out and pull it under with him. The fabric had touched L’s naked body, soaking up the water that had dripped down his skin. Light had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from taking it; he had to wait and see if L would leave it or pick it up; if the man had gone to collect it and found it missing, he’d probably check under the bed first, thinking he had kicked it under there, and as good of a liar as he was, Light knew even he couldn’t come up with an excuse.

After getting dressed, L turned off the overhead light and crawled into the bed, leaving the towel on the floor as he settled in and turned off the bedside lamp, allowing darkness to overtake the room. Light listened to L’s breathing for what seemed like forever and simultaneously not long enough, the rhythm slowly evening out and deepening as the man drifted off.

Light reached out, slowly pulling the towel towards him and burying his nose in the damp fabric, inhaling the scent and sucking on a corner in attempt to taste L’s skin. Light reached into his pants, stroking and squeezing his length as he gagged himself with his new prize in attempt to keep from waking L and his senses filled with the scent and taste of the man once again and reached his climax as silently as he could manage. Milking himself through his orgasm, Light let his body relax, pulling the towel out of his mouth but still held it in his arms.

In his blissed-out state, Light smiled at his thoughts; being so close to L, right under his bed as he slept, Light was practically sleeping next to him. Turning his head to the side, Light cautiously reached out to touch L’s dangling hand. With no sign that the touch registered to the sleeping man, Light continued to gently hold it, smirking when he realized he had used his semen covered hand since there was no way to use the other one.

If just L’s fingers looked this good covered in Light’s release, he couldn’t wait to see the rest of him, and the thought made him hungry.


	12. Picasso Calla Lilies, Ice Cream and Clichés

Light stretched his arms out as he casually jogged down the dark street; as much as he enjoyed sleeping next to L, or more accurately under his bed, Light’s limbs were stiff from having to be curled up under the bed and having to lay on the floor all night without being able to move. Light didn’t mind though; he spent the night with L, and that made it worth the soreness. He had been worried about L though; the man tossed and turned all night. Light had wanted to crawl out to comfort the man or at least reach up and stroke his hair as he slept, but he couldn’t risk waking him. Not being able to help L made his heart physically hurt more than his arms and legs.

Wiping the sweat from his brow as he entered his home, checking the clock as he passed it; four in the morning. Light grabbed a water bottle from his fridge, taking a drink as he walked down the stairs to the basement, ignoring the people chained up in favor of lowering a large meat hook from an overhead beam, collecting some thick rope from his cabinet, going over to his first-aid kit.

He felt their eyes on him as he filled a syringe up with a very small dose of Etorphine; it was a pain in the ass to get from his associates from his former days, and it wasn’t as satisfying to use on victims as force, but he didn’t feel like bothering with more effort than he had to.

Light strode over to the wall where Shawn and Gabby were chained and looked over them; Shawn’s fingernails were missing, both middle fingers cut away. Gabby’s toenails were gone, her ankles broken, her nose probably was too from when Light had punched her, and her throat was bruised and probably sore from being choked out; she was worse for wear, poor thing.

Even if Shawn’s hands and feet hadn’t been bound, his body was weak from lack of real food, but he couldn’t risk even the smallest possibility that the second he unbound the man, his fight or flight instinct and adrenaline would kick in and he would get away. Light stood over Shawn, carefully sticking the syringe needle into the side of his neck and pushing the plunger. The man goes limp in only a couple of minutes, his eyes falling closed and allowing Light begins to unlock and unbind the chains.

Gabby’s hoarse cries were choked as fresh tears streamed down her face; her eyes fixed on the limp form of her boyfriend. “Don’t worry; he’s not dead,” Light assured, “I just gave him a very small dose of a semi-synthetic opioid,” Light explained as he bound Shawn’s arms and ankles in the thick rope before dragging the unconscious man over to the lowered meat hook, placing the rope around the wrists on the end. “Even the small dose I gave him, it’s also very diluted, so he’ll wake up soon. Probably in a couple of hours, four at the latest.” Light walked over to the pully system that raised and lowered the chained hook, raising it up so Shawn dangled by his arms a few feet above the floor; he could probably swing around if he was strong enough to kick his legs. “Though I can’t promise leaving him like this won’t dislocate his arms.” Light probably wouldn’t out it back in place if one or both arms were pulled from their sockets; though then again, it is said popping a socket back into place was more painful than dislocating it? Saving that idea for later, Light looked back to the girl, more tears running down her cheeks and raised an eyebrow at how his words didn’t seem to comfort the young woman. Wasn’t she happy her partner wasn’t dead?

Shrugging his shoulders, Light moved over to the work old work bench, pulling on his gloves and safety goggles, tying a leather apron around his torso and pulling a thick piece of wood to him, starting to work.

Light had been so focused on his newest project that he almost missed the slurred mumbling behind him. Setting his safety gear aside, Light turned to see that Shawn had started to stir, close to waking up. Not wanting to wait any longer, Light strode over to his cabinet, tapping his finger to his puckered lips as he looked over his collection. Looking back to the hanging torso, Light collected two items for now before walking around and starting up the cattle prod, touching it to Shawn’s hip, ripping him from his barely conscious state with a pained yell that left him panting when the rod was pulled away, his tired eyes fixing on his captor.

Light only offered a smile before touching the copper tips to Shawn’s exposed underarm, holding it there as he watched the man’s body tense and twitch, moving the device around to random parts of the body without giving a moment of reprieve before touching the tip to another spot.

Light was finally satisfied when he was sure he had shocked each limb and part of the body twice and walked around behind the tired man and gripped the back of his dirty shirt, Shawn tensing and his breath wavering under Light’s touch.

“Don’t move. If you try, you’ll just end up hurting yourself.” Light made sure to let the cold tip of the fabric scissors poked the back and sides of Shawn’s neck before cutting the fabric, letting it fall apart and leaving the torso exposed for Light to examine; it appeared to be nothing Special; average. Grabbing the shoulder blades, the muscles were tender. Light continued feeling around the back and hips, getting an idea of the muscle beneath. Maybe slightly above if he was being generous?

Shrugging to himself, Light went back to the cabinet and put away the scissors but kept the prod in his pocket, just in case Shawn passed out, and selected the tools he would be using today. After putting the first in his pocket opposite the cattle prod, Light selected his second tool. He found himself smiling at the beautiful wooden handle; he let his fingers slide up one of the tails, feeling the smooth black leather glide between the pads of his fingers and stopping at the end to admire the metal tips. This one was always fun.

Light turned his attention back to Shawn, hanging by his arms and back exposed, ready for marking. Light took his place a few feet behind his victim, aiming the whip and slapping it across the pale spine and pulling his arm back to watch as beautiful red streamed down the pale skin, pained screams filling his ears. Light smiled a little before taking aim again, watching as the metal tips dug into the flesh, slicing open the skin before ripping the claws out.

Light somewhat thought of this as an artist stroking their brush across the canvas; he felt like he was on autopilot was he continued the ministrations, all nine tails of the whip ripping their way in and out of the skin until Shawn’s back was completely red and torn to shreds. Light was sure if he looked closely, he could see some of the spine peeking out.

Light listened to Shawn’s sobs, pleasantly surprised he hadn’t passed out. Looking at the floor, Light spotted a few pieces of small skin chunks. Well, a bit of food little going to waste wasn’t too bad. Shrugging, Light left the man hanging, his voice strained from screaming his throat raw as he tried to give comforting words to his girlfriend before Light returned, forcing a large silicon prop in his maw.

“Can you close your mouth with that?” Light asked. Watching Shawn try was mildly amusing, but once Light was sure he wouldn’t be able to close him mouth, he added a C shaped cheek retractor, exposing Shawn’s teeth and gums to himself.

Light looked into Shawn’s eyes, clouded and red, tired and wet. If he had been someone else, he might have felt sympathy for that pained look, but he couldn’t be someone else, and the fearful expression just aroused his bloodlust.

Light shoved the pliers into Shawn’s mouth, slightly irritated at the squirming, even if it was only faint and didn’t really cause a hinderance to his work. The nose of the tool gripped a cuspid, and strengthening his grip, Light pulled.

Light took a moment to look at the tooth in its entirety; the root was long with a rounded tip, mediocre in appearance. Light tossed the tooth aside and looked to Shawn; his mouth wasn’t as bloody as he expected, but it wasn’t important.

Ignoring the mans pained cries, Light reached the pliers in again and gripped a premolar, repeating the process and removing it. The root was similar in shape to the cuspid, except a little shorter. It looked more damaged, more decayed. Looking inside, Light found a more considerable amount of blood. “You don’t take the best care of your teeth, do you?” Light could guess by the fillings in the back that the molar roots were in bad shape. Would the root even come out this time? Curious, Light once again reached the pliers inside, gripping and pulling out a molar.

Light was usually right. The top of the tooth came free, but looking into the open mouth, he could see the tips of the roots poking out of the pink and bloody gums. For a moment, he couldn’t look away, but the beeping on his phone drew his eyes away from the view; he had to get ready for work, and he had a date with L later tonight.

Shoving his phone in his pocket, Light put his tools away, except for the ones in Shawn’s mouth, and went upstairs to grab a shower before clocking in.

Light wiped the counter mindlessly as he thought of his upcoming date. He had planned a movie, but now thinking about it, sitting in a dark room where you’re not supposed to talk seemed impersonal. Maybe he should do something else?

“Light, you seem distracted?” Pops questioned, clapping a hand on Light’s back to get his attention.

“What makes you think that?”

“You’ve been cleaning the same spot for ten minutes, son.” Pops softly laughed. “You’re thinking about your sweetheart, aren’t you?” Light sputtered, making the old man laugh a little louder with a fond smile on his aged face. “No need to pretend, I know that look. I had it on my face all the time when I first met Elaine. Even after all these years, I still get that look.”

“What look?” Light questioned.

“That dreamy, faraway look. Like you’re a million miles away in your own world with the person you’re sweet on in your arms.” Pops explained. “What’s her name?”

“Oh, um, it’s actually not a girl…” Light trailed off. He knew there were still bigots out there, and though Pops didn’t seem like the type of person to hate people for reasons beyond their control, he never really knew.

“Oh, I’m sorry. What’s _his_ name?” the old man corrected himself.

Light felt a weight lift from his chest, his shoulders relaxing as he spoke. “L, actually.”

“Little L Lawliet?” Pops smiled. “He’s a good kid. Shy, but from what I’ve heard form Carol Jones, he’s sharp as a tac.”

“Yeah,” Light smiled fondly, “We’ve been on a couple of dates, but I don’t really know how to show that I like him.”

“Would you like some advice or do you want me to just listen?” Pops offered.

Light thought for moment; Pops and Miss Elaine had the relationship some part of him always wanted. Even though he wasn’t sure what he wanted with or from L, Light did want something. “Advice, I think.” Light nodded with a soft smile.

“Well, when I first started courting Elaine, any time I was able to see her, I’d bring her, her favorite flowers and I sent her a bouquet every Monday, and I still do, to this day.”

Light nodded as he thought of the idea. L was a naturalist, so maybe he had a favorite flower, too? Light smiled as an idea bloomed in his mind. “Thanks, Pops.”

“Glad to help, son.” Pops moved from leaning his back against the counter when the bell rang. The old man went to help the customer, and Light left the counter to help Leeanne in the back.

L had expected Light when he opened the door, but he hadn’t expected what was in his arms.

“I hope it’s okay, and not too old fashioned, but I got these for you.” Light smiled as L willingly took the flower bundle into his hands, “The color in the middle reminded me of your…” Light let his voice trail off, feeling like he may have said too much.

“Reminded you of my what?” L questioned.

“Your eyes.” Light shyly smiled. Looking at the flowers in his hands, L felt his cheeks color. “They’re some kind of lily, according to the flower shop worker, but I can’t really tell.”

“They’re black Picasso Calla Lilies,” L couldn’t help but smile. “They’re lovely.”

“So, it’s not too old fashioned or cheesy?” Light smirked.

“So, what do you want to see?” Light asked as he and L walked through the theater parking lot.

“I don’t really know what’s showing.” L confessed, eyes trying to see the movie posters lining the walls of the building. “My tv is mostly for show.”

Light abruptly halted and threw his arm out in front of L’s chest, stopping them both from walking as another car sped through the walkway. After the events finally set in, L’s head followed the car that was quickly driving away, disappearing in the dark streets.

“Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Light’s eyes looked so soft and warm as they looked over him that L momentarily got lost in their chocolate-like color before nodding.

“No, I mean, yeah, I’m fine.”

Light’s lips twitched before he looked down the street. “We had the right of way, you fool!” he yelled, making L laugh a little. “C’mon, let’s get you out of the street.” Light gently took L’s hand in his, leading them as they quickly jogged over to the sidewalk. L felt like his stomach was doing somersaults when he noticed Light didn’t let go of his hand, even after they were out of the road.

L bit his thumb absentmindedly as the movie played on the big screen; he wasn’t sure how he and Light had decided to see the horror movie, but he and Light almost had the theater to themselves, save the two people in the front who seemed more occupied with each other.

Only a few minutes into the movie, L had leaned over and told Light that the killer wasn’t the father, it was the youngest daughter.

“No way,” Light had whispered back, “isn’t she supposed to be like, thirteen or something?”

“It’s her.” L insisted.

“It’s not. I bet you’re wrong.”

“What’s do I win when I’m proven right?” L cocked an eyebrow.

“Cocky now, are we?” Light smirked, glancing back at the screen. It was a very slow moment in the film, so L wasn’t too concerned with them missing anything important.

“Not cocky, I just know I’m right.”

“Tell you what,” Light shifted a little closer, “if you’re right, I’ll treat you to an ice cream cone down the street. If I’m right-”

“Which you aren’t.”

“Then you buy. Deal?”

L nodded and turned his attention back to the screen, glancing at Light out of his peripheral vision occasionally to gauge his reactions to the movie. A thought occurred to L and it made his body minutely tense, though it seemed like Light didn’t notice. After some internal debate, L couldn’t stop his hand from shaking as he slowly inched his hand closer to Light’s, still watching him out of the corner of his eye to see if Light noticed or removed his arm from the armrest. L gently intertwined their fingers, ready to apologize when Light pulled away, but felt a mixture of relief and excitement when instead, Light closed his fingers around L’s.

Sitting back in his seat, L moved his eyes back to the film and was already planning what he’d order when he was proven right.

Light knew the twist of the movie; L was right. The hints were everywhere in the film if you knew how to look, though he did have to admit, at least they were hidden fairly well. He had only made the bet as an excuse to extend the duration of their date. His heart had nearly frozen when L held his hand; Light had been sure L was just meant to use the arm rest, but when their palms touched, it felt like electricity was passing between them. Light hadn’t let go of L’s hand since, even as they walked down the sidewalk and into the small ice cream shop.

“How did you know? Did you already see the movie?” Light asked, trying to keep his eyes away from the way L’s pink tongue peeked out between his lips and up the frozen treat.

“No. I knew because every time the killer stuck, even though the father had no real alibi and was made to be mentally unstable, the daughter would be home late and protective about privacy whenever someone went in her room.”

“Most people are protective of privacy.” Light pointed out. “Especially as teenagers.”

“Yes, but it was only when the mother tried putting laundry away in her closet or drawers, where most people, especially children and teens, hide items from others, that it really became a problem.” L observed.

Light nodded and paid the tab, leaving a really good tip since they did come in shortly before the shop closed, which, to him at least, was rude and annoying, though the server did their best to hide the irritation.

With their free hands connected, Light and L walked down the sidewalk, looking in shop windows and trying to avoid others as they talked.

“So, based on your amazing clue-finding skills, I’m guessing you’re good at solving mysteries?”

L nodded, quickly swallowing his mouthful of ice cream. “Very. It comes in handy at work. I like to think of mysteries as puzzles to be solved.”

“Are you good at those too?”

“They keep the mind from being idle and improves memory by reinforcing the existing connections between brain cells. Plus, I find it satisfying when I complete one.”

“Dork.” Light teased with a smile; his eyes fixed on L for a moment too long to see the man in front of them before colliding.

“What the…” the man huffed as he picked his phone up from the ground, “watch where you’re going!”

Light looked up to see L’s face, paler than usual; glancing at the man who had run into them before he stormed off in a huff. Once the man was gone, Light took some napkins from the ice cream shop from his pocket and tried to help L wipe away the cold treat that had been smashed into his chest.

“You okay?” Light asked as they got most of the remnant off L’s shirt.

“Yeah, though I imagine I’ll hear about this at work tomorrow.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m helping on a case, and that guy is working on the same one. He’s already rude to me, though now I suspect he will be even more so.” L shook his head before shivering as the breeze bit. “I should probably head home before I freeze.”

“Can I walk you home?” Light asked hopefully. Even if L declined, Light was still going to follow L home, just in a way that L didn’t see or hear him. He just wanted to make sure L got home.

“Sure.” L smiled.

“And at the risk of being a cliché.” Light slipped his jacket off and held it out for L, who, with a soft blush, allowed Light to wrap the jacket around him before escorting him home.

“I’m sorry if I end up ruining your coat,” L apologized as they walked up the porch steps, the old wood creaking lightly under their weight.

“I’m not worried about it, even if you did. I can get just about any stain out of clothes.” Light assured, stopping in front on the door as L reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys.

“How do you do that?” L cocked an eyebrow.

“Bleach or scrubbing with soap and hot water, mostly.” Light smiled at the soft laugh that came from L as he removed the jacket and handed it back to Light.

“Thanks for tonight. It was fun.” L stood up on his tiptoes and kissed Light’s cheek, blushing as they bid each other good night and disappeared behind the door.

Light felt his face split into a large grin that didn’t fade from his face for the whole walk home. He was practically walking on air and was eager to get home to start making his own puzzle for L to solve. He even already had a few ideas, though some would require him to call in a few favors, it would be worth it, if it was for L.

Light walked into the basement, sitting a stool in front of Shawn, seating himself between the suspended man and Gabby, propping his elbows on his knees and resting his chin on his palms as he just stared at Shawn for a moment, not saying a word or observing him. Lost in thought.

“How long have you two been together?” He finally asked.

“What?”

“You and Gabby. How long have you two been dating?” Light clarified. Maybe Shawn had lost a little too much blood?

“Since, since we were in high school.”

“I see.” Light nodded. “Do you love her?”

“What’s it matter to you?” Shawn tried to yell, but his strained voice was more pitiful than intimidating. He somehow shrank back into himself when Light glared at him with hard eyes. “Yes, yes I love her. More than anything,” the man’s Adam’s apple bobbing as he tried to gulp whatever saliva was in his mouth, “So please, just leave her alone, please.”

Light didn’t bother listening to the second part of Shawn’s babbling. He had heard every form of begging there was. None of it was new to him. “How do you know?”

“Know what?”

“Know you love her?” Light rolled his eyes.

“I, I want her to be happy, I want to be with her, good days and bad.”

“I see. Would you ever hurt her?”

“No, not, not on purpose. I want her safe…”

Light thought for a moment. Safe. Out of danger and harm’s way. “What if she was safer away from you? Would you leave her?”

“Please, let her go…”

Light glared up at the man, his question ignored. That primal feeling creeping up his spine. Light grabbed the tool he had stored in his pocket and stabbed into the side of Shawn’s neck, pulling the blade out as blood sprayed across his face and chest, warm blood raining down on him as the man bled out, the hoarse cries of his girlfriend barely registering in his ears as he licked his lips clean.

Light stood there for a moment; he didn’t get an answer to his question, though that was his fault, but to be fair, he wouldn’t have killed Shawn yet if he had just answered the question.

Light looked over his shoulder to the trembling form in the corner, her face pained like Light had never seen before, despite not having touched her. Turning back to the body hanging from his pully system, Light rubbed his hands down his face, wiping off most of the blood that covered him as he sighed. He hadn’t planned to kill the man yet; he hadn’t planned to use the knife to kill, just to cut him up if Light thought he wasn’t being entirely truthful. He couldn’t eat him now; the drug in his system, while it wouldn’t have the same effect on Light, would mess with the way the meat tasted until it was out of his system. Rubbing his temple, Light formulated a plan. He could make this work.

L rubbed his eyes, watery and tired from staring at his computer screen, the temptation to lay his head on his desk creeping into his mind for the tenth time that day.

“Are you okay, L?” Carol asked, placing the palm of her hand across L’s forehead, her brow furrowed as she continued to press her hand on L’s cheeks.

“I’m not sick,” L assured. “I didn’t sleep well.”

“I’m surprised you slept at all.” Carol commented as she pulled her hand away. “Though I suppose I should have guessed since you weren’t here before me. What happened?”

“What do you mean “what happened?”? I didn’t sleep well.” L looked up; Carol had a single eyebrow raised, a look on her face that was a mixture of ‘tell-me-the-truth’ and a knowing look that she would give Arma when she knew her daughter wasn’t being entirely honest. Sighing and rubbing his eyes again, L relented. “I got in a little later than planned and I had unpleasant dreams of a voice under my bed. I couldn’t tell what it was saying, but it felt like it was threatening me. I kept turning in bed to get away from it, but the voice followed.”

Carol softly cooed in a way that she probably meant to be comforting or sympathetic, but it felt patronizing to L; he wasn’t entirely against the feeling of Carol’s fingers brushing through his hair, however. The touch was gentle and soothing, making his eyes heavier. “I’ll fix up some coffee. Maybe a cup or two will help?”

Before L could reply, a tapping on the glass of the office door drew the attention; Charlie stood on the doorway. “A severed arm was found. We’re needed at the scene.”

L hung his head before slowly standing from his seat and grabbing his coat from the rack; “Carol, grab Arma and meet us there?”

Charlie held the yellow tape up as Arma, Carol and L ducked under it and followed behind the trio. “A couple of hikers found it.” Charlie explained, “At first they thought it was some kind of animal that vultures had gotten to, but then they noticed the thumb.”

“Did they touch anything?” L questioned as he and the others pulled on his rubber gloves, his large black eyes darting around the scene rapidly; there were so many people here, and though none of them really seemed to notice that he was here, he could feel his pulse beat a little faster. Taking a deep breath, surprised that there was no scent of rot present yet, L squatted down to examine the limb.

“No, though one guy did puke over there.” Charlie vaguely gestured somewhere.

“A normal reaction if someone isn’t prepared to see stuff like this,” L commented, “though I don’t really care as long as nothing has been contaminated or compromised.” L paused his examination of the severed arm, looking up over his shoulder at Charlie who leered over him, staring at the man until he finally seemed to notice that L had stopped moving or felt L’s gaze on him.

“Sorry.”

L gave a noncommittal hum before turning his attention back to his task, taking his time in observing it and mentally cataloging every detail he could see.

“So,” Charlie tried to sound like his patience wasn’t running thin, but rocking on his heels gave it away, “Do you think this is the killer?”

“Leaving a limb behind instead of an entire body is new.” L commented before casting a glance to Arma, getting an affirming nod in return, her pen ready for the notes. “The arm was severed at the Tricep muscle. The coloring and lack of blood surrounding it suggests that it was removed postmortem and in a different location before being left here. The limb was almost entirely skinned with a portion of muscle is missing from the Extensor Capri Ulnaris to the Ulna side. It appears to belong to a male, Caucasian by the looks of little remaining skin there is.” L leaned in closer, careful not to topple over, “The skin is torn, and the lacerations at the severing point are rough, so it was most likely removed with a jagged blade, though closer inspection in the lab will help us identify the pattern of the tears and we can get the size and shape of the tool from there.”

“Any guesses how long the person’s been dead?” Carol watched over L as he worked; he may be her assistant by title, but he was more than capable of doing this work without her. It was a morbid moment, but her chest swelled with pride when she watched L work.

“There’s a buildup of calcium in the remaining muscles,” L observed, “so rigor mortis has just set in.”

“What does that tell us?” Charlie questioned.

“It takes about three to four hours for rigor mortis to start, peaking at twelve hours after death, and lasts only thirty-six hours. Here, the start of calcium buildup suggests the arm was severed before rigor mortis started, and the person, or limb, at least, has been dead for about six hours.” L’s brows furrowed as he moved around the limb, his eyes unable to quite see through the mess of grass and fallen leaves. “Carol, can you get me a tongue depressor from the bag?” The woman cocked an eyebrow but shrugged, reaching into the bag and handing over what L needed.

“I’m assuming the photos have already been taken?” Carol questioned.

“Of course.” Charlie assured.

L held the end of the depressor between his gloved fingers, reaching out and using it to hook two fingers on its surface and raise the hand slightly. “The nails are gone, the middle finger is missing, there’s a small bit of the proximal phalanges of the middle finger present, but it’s broken, Present lacerations around the skin are smooth and even, so it wasn’t taken by an animal.”

“What kind of animal would take a finger?” Charlie questioned with a slightly disgusted look on his face.

“Scavengers, mostly.” Arma informed as she wrote down L’s observations, “Raccoons, Possums, even Squirrels and chipmunks. Carnivorous birds as well.”

“But based on the lack of signs of any of those being around, and the other variables, I’d guess this was left here only a couple of hours ago.” L stood up, dropping the tongue depressor in a plastic bag that Carol held out and sealed for proper disposal later.

“It’s still weird to think that such cute little animals would eat you if you died in a place where they can get to you, though, isn’t it?”

“Arma Mae,” Carol hissed her daughter’s name, her brown eyes hard as they fixed on her.

“Sorry.” The blond mumbled, looking down at her notepad.

“Have the diners bag it up and bring it to the lab,” Carol instructed, “we’ll be able to do a more thorough examination there.” Charlie nodded his affirmation and called gestured the two over as L stood up and led the small group away from the limb so the diners could collect it.

“I’m guessing there’s no body?” L questioned as they walked to their cars.

“We have people searching the area for one or any other limbs, but it hasn’t been long.” Charlie sighed.

“And I’m guessing besides the hikers, there’s no witnesses?” L took the bag from Carol and pushed it into the opposite seat in the back of her car.

“None that we’ve found so far. But don’t worry; as my partner, you won’t be left out of the interviewing and questioning process once you get an ID.” Charlie clapped a firm hand on L’s shoulder.

“So, interacting with people that aren’t dead? Joy.” L mumbled with a roll of his eyes as he climbed into the backseat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sources:  
• Etorphine, Dexter Fandom Wiki, https://dexter.fandom.com/wiki/Etorphine  
(this is most likely NOT an accurate depiction of Etorphine, but in the comments a person did mention it is possible for it to work this way if it was a very small, watered down dose.)  
• Investigation: What Happens When Limbs Turn Up Without a Body Attached? BY Sarah Laskow, September 1, 2015, atlasobscura.com, https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/investigation-what-happens-when-limbs-turn-up-without-a-body-attached  
• 6 weird things that happen after you die by KATHERINE BUTLER, September 17, 2019, 1:03 p.m. www.mnn.com, https://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/5-weird-things-that-happen-after-you-die  
• Hand Bones and Wrist Bones, www.registerdnursern.com, https://www.registerednursern.com/hand-and-wrist-bones/  
• What Happens to Your Body After You Die? SKYE GOULD & REBECCA HARRINGTON, BUSINESS INSIDER, 28 OCT 2016, www.sciencealert.com, https://www.sciencealert.com/what-happens-to-your-body-after-you-die


	13. Photographs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> previous chapters were revised, edited, and combined into one chapter. you can re-read it if you want, but its basically this:  
1) Light still slept under L's bed  
2) Light went home, tortured Shawn, I added a bit more torture and a bit of gore if that's your thing, but he stops to go to work and has a date with L later that night. he still gets advice from pops .  
3) the date is the same, but that's when he decides to use Gabby and Shawn to make L a puzzle  
4) he tortures Shawn more, not intending to kill him just yet, but when hes ignored he kills him and mentally revises his plan so he can still make L's puzzle.  
5) in the morning, L and the team are called to the arm scene. same as previous.
> 
> i really hate revising!

Light was thankful he was a good actor, otherwise people would have thought he was anxious, though ‘excited’ was a more accurate word. He had left the first puzzle piece out today and if it was discovered yet, Leeanne would already know and be eager to return from her lunch break and tell everyone about it. Light guessed her gossipy nature could come in handy.

Light practically jumped when the bell rang, and the door slammed behind Leeanne who was practically sprinting to the counter, drawing the eyes of a few patrons sitting at the tables.

“You won’t believe this!” She said, resting her palms against the display case as she panted. She must have run all the way here.

“What? Is everything okay? Take a seat I’ll bring you some water.” Light didn’t mean to brag, but he was a very convincing actor, if he did say so himself.

“No,” Leeanne waved off him off, “thanks, but I’m fine.” The synthetic redhead gathered herself before continuing. “Apparently that killer might have struck again. Some campers or something found a severed arm just off the hiking trail. The cops are trying to keep it under wraps but that one reporter that’s been going around was there.” Leeanne spoke so quickly, Light almost had trouble understanding her. “That weird, creepy-looking guy was there too, and he’s like, a detective now I think?”

Did she just call L “creepy-looking”? L looked a little off, but he was handsome, even if he looked like the long-lost son of the Addams family.

“L?” Pops questioned.

“I think that’s his name. Messy dark hair, dark circles under his eyes, so pale he looks like he could blend in with the snow.” Leeanne explained.

“That’s him.” Pops nodded. “Little L is a detective now?” He shook his head with a soft, fond smile on his wrinkled face. “He’s come a long way since he was only yea high,” Pops held his hand low “and hiding behind his mother’s dress, too shy to look up from the floor.”

“Did you not hear that the cops found a severed arm?” Leeanne questioned.

“Oh, yeah,” Pops waved his wand like he was shooing a fly, “Go on, dear.”

Light tuned out his coworkers babbling; he was just satisfied that, even though no one would or could catch him, L was starting his personal puzzle, customized just for him.

“Any matches from the DNA sample I took from the arm?” Carol questioned.

L looked up over the folder in his hands, his big dark eyes peeking over the edges. He felt like he was a child who had been caught reaching into the cookie jar after being explicitly forbidden, but the soft, teasing look on Carol’s face eased some of that feeling as he handed the folder over to her.

“Couldn’t resist, huh?” She questioned as she took the item.

“Reading reports and test results is part of my job, isn’t it?” L questioned, sinking lower into his office chair.

“The ones I give you, yes.” The older woman opened the folder, lazily strolling around the room. “Might as well tell me what you already read.”

L bit the tip if his “As you know, without the skin, we couldn’t get a fingerprint. And there is not sign of any tattoo ink in what remained of the muscle, so we can’t try and use that to get an ID. They’re running a DNA sample through the data base of missing people that the cops were able to find DNA of at the scene of disappearance, but it’ll be a while before we get the results.”

“So, we have another John Doe?” Carol sighed as she tossed the folder on her desk and rubbed her hands over her face. “How goes the investigation with Officer Daniels?”

“No progress. And no further body parts have been found, so we can’t piece our John Doe together.” L reached into his desk drawer, pulling out a baggy of gumdrops and popping one in his mouth, working the sweet into a comfortable spot in his mouth. “Any news on that reporter that’s been around?” L questioned.

“He tried talking to Arma on our way in today. I almost wanted to deck the guy.”

“I think Wammy is going to talk to him, soon. If anything, just to assure the public that the force is trying everything to stop and catch the killer.”

“God speed to the old man if he does.” Carol dropped herself into her chair with a huff, gently swerving her seat side to side by her toes for a moment as she looked up at the ceiling, her brown eyes unfocused as she thought. L couldn’t help but look at the woman; she looked tired, and worry was etched into her face, even now when she looked to be a million miles away.

“How’s,” L shifted in his seat, “where’s Arma?”

“She’s in the back getting a tissue sample to send into toxicology.”

“Do you think they’ll find something?”

“What do you think?” Carol sighed, her voice genuine and curious.

L bit his thumb, thinking for a moment before relenting. “If it is the work of the killer, using drugs would go against their normal violent way of killing.”

“So, you think the test will be useless to run?”

“We have to follow protocol, plus anything that could be in the system like prescription drugs could lead to making an ID. Plus a tissue sample can still find alcohol if the victim was drinking less than eighty hours before meeting our killer, and if so we can try asking questions at a few bars and clubs. It is a possibility, though, we may find more of John Doe in the four to six weeks it takes to get the toxicology report back.”

Carol only sighed loudly and seemed to sag while already slouching deeply in her chair. “Got any chocolate in your stash?” L reached into his drawer and handed two mini chocolate bars to his boss. “Thanks.”

Light hummed as he dropped the muscle into his bender, pouring a strawberry protein shake in with it before closing the lid and blending the concoction together. He knew that the effects of the drug he had administered to Shawn wouldn’t happen to him, but he still didn’t want it in his system. His body was perfect, even after nearly starving to death in the first few years of life, so he wasn’t going to let something spoil the perfection he worked so hard to achieve.

Once the ingredients were perfectly blended, Light removed the glass jug of the blender and started down the stairs, still whistling as he approached Gabby, the feeding gag already strapped around her head.

“It’s strawberry, again. Hope you don’t mind.” Light held the funnel still in one hand as he poured the thick liquid into it, watching with a shiver of delight as the young woman drank until it was all gone. “Excellent. If you continue to behave, I’ll let you have solid foods, soon,” Light explained as he slowly unfastened the straps, “Of course I won’t be able to give you utensils; otherwise you might try to stab me. But still, I bet solid food is better than just protein shakes.”

“Where is he?” Gabby croaked. Light didn’t respond; he could barely hear the girl anyway. He thought it better to knock her out before he cut off her boyfriends’ arm, though he wasn’t sure if knocking her out, going to the deep freezer in the corner beside the basement stairs, pulling him out, cutting a piece or two off, and putting the body back in again was the most efficient way to go about feeding her. Sure, he could just feed her the normal shakes, but he had planned on eating Shawn and absolutely hated it when large amounts food went to waste. Speaking of, Shawn, Light still has his class ring to deal with. He couldn’t dispose of it in the same way he had the phones; the ring was customized, and his name was on it, so it wouldn’t be worth anything at a pawn shop. His fireplace didn’t reach anywhere near the temperatures hot enough to melt silver. Such a stupid piece of jewelry was proving to be such a pain in the ass. Maybe he could leave the arm and head for last and put the ring on the other hand? A little helpful hint if L and the cops had trouble making an ID. But then again, that wouldn’t that be cheating? He wanted L to solve it himself with no help from Light. Shrugging to himself, Light decided to leave it in his secret spot for now and left the basement. He wasn’t going to spend the day down here; he had a new cake recipe to try. Maybe he could invite L over for a slice?

Light looked up from his baking when a knocking came from his door. Unusual, since Light never got visitors. Wiping his hands on his apron as he walked, Light opened the door to see Carol on the other side, a polite smile on her face and an empty plate in her hands. “Hi, Ms. Jones,” Light put on his friendliest smile.

“You know you can call me Carol,” the older woman reminded, “I just realized Arma and I never returned your plate from when you brought us those cookies.”

“Oh, thank you,” Light took the offered dish, “how were they, by the way?”

“I don’t know,” the brunet shrugged, “I never got to try one. But I’m guessing good, if Arma eating them all is anything to go by.” The woman laughed.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Light smiled. “I can give you the recipe if you want to come inside for a moment?”

“I wouldn’t want to bother you. You seem busy.” Carol looked at the powder on Light’s apron.

“It’s no trouble, come on in.” Light turned and lead the woman into his kitchen, telling her to make herself at home as he grabbed a notepad and pen from a drawer, beginning to write. “How’s Arma doing, by the way?”

“She’s good.” The woman looked around awkwardly for a moment.

“Carol, you came here to talk about me and L. Am I right?” Light raised a single eyebrow, a cocky smirk on his face.

L reached out and scratched Mochi’s head as the cat climbed beside him on the couch, giving an appreciative purr before L withdrew his hand and returned to work.

“Organs were taken and cut with precision, suggesting the killer works in or studied the medical field, but the most valuable ones were sometimes wounded, making them useless on the black market.” L brought his thumb to his lips, his eyes fixed on his notes and back his computer screen. “Most likely male, though we can’t entirely confirm that with no witnesses or evidence to suggest that.” He mumbled to himself as he typed, adding a question mark beside the word ‘male’ on his deductions list.

The arm that had been found was missing a large piece of muscle, which was consistent with the past killings, but the amputation of a finger, removal of the skin, even cutting up the body and taking a part of it somewhere wasn’t part of the killers usual style. It didn’t add up, like they were toying with a new idea, but the killer was smart; having not been caught yet, meaning their usual method worked, so why change it now?

Maybe they want to be caught?

L checked his work email, hoping to hear back from the criminal psychologist he had contacted, but sighed when there were no new messages for him to open.

Running his hands though his hair, L shut his computer for a moment and set it aside, cradling his head in his hands as he tried to silence his mind.

The ringing of the doorbell made not only L jump in his seat, but Mochi jerked awake from the nap he had been dozing off into. L rose from his seat, giving a quick scratch to Mochi’s head. “I’ll get it.”

L brought his thumb to his lips as he approached the door, smiling when he opened it to see Light standing there.

“Hey, I know I’m unannounced again, but Carol asked me to check up on you.”

L’s lips twitched as he stepped back inter the foyer, Light following him inside. “Why didn’t she just call?”

“I think she tried, but you didn’t answer.” Light followed L into the living room after taking his shoes off by the door. “Hey there, Mochi,” Light immediately cooed upon seeing the brown and crème fur, smiling as the cat started to playfully swat and paw at his outstretched hand. “Are you taking good care of my guy?”

L felt his entire face burn at the implications in the question Light had asked the cat and tried not to think he was having a heart attack when it felt like his heart had flipped in his chest. “He, uh, he’s been keeping me company.”

“That’s good,” Light smiled.

“So, do you want tea? Cake?” L awkwardly shuffled his weight from foot to foot.

“Sure, mind if I help?”

“No, no you stay there, I’ll get it.” L quickly walked through the dining room and into the kitchen, looking through his cupboards as he tried to find any kind of tea. Hell, he’d even settle for instant coffee if it meant he didn’t look so…unprepared? L sighed in defeat when he found nothing, resting his forehead on the pantry door for a second before returning to the living room empty handed. “I forgot to put tea on my grocery order, I…” L paused when he rounded the corner, finding Light admiring a half table, covered in picture frames pressed against the wall.

“Sorry, I got curious.” L nervously apologized, wetting his lips before pointing to one of the pictures. “Is that you?”

L shuffled a little closer, looking at the photo Light was pointing at. It was a small child in a dark blue sailor suit, strands of messy black hair peeking out from under the matching hat, and a small pout on the child’s pale face as they looked at the camera. “Yeah, I was about three, I think.”

“You in a tiny sailor suit is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen in my life.” Light gave a smile that lit up the room. “Who is this?” Light continued to point at another picture.

“That’s Lucille.” L shook his head slightly at the slip of the tongue. “My mom.” he quickly corrected.

“She’s very pretty.”

L let himself look over the photo; his mother looked to be in her very early twenties in the photo, before she met Liam or had L. The presence of a smile was enough to indicate that, at least. She wore a fifties style boyleg swimsuit at the beach, the waves in the background as she smiled at the camera, her body slightly turned at an angle and one leg bent so her toes dragged in the sand behind her. Her short blonde curls in a bob cut framed her face beautifully, a few strands having come loose and blown across her face. She almost looked like a model from the fifties. “Yeah,” L smiled softly, “she was.”

“And who is this guy?” Light continued.

L’s smile fell from his face as quickly as it had arrived. “That’s Liam.”

“An old picture of a grandfather?”

“Just father.”

“He uh,” Light glanced at the picture again, quickly looking away like he could feel the pressure from Liam’s gaze, “He looks, uh…stoic.”

“That’s one way to put it.” L nodded, walking past Light and into the living room, trying to ignore the feeling of Liam’s photographed gaze weighing on him like it had for so many years while he was alive. “So, Carol asked you to check on me,” L finally felt the pressure of Liam’s gaze lift from his body once he rounded the corner and leaned against the arm of the couch, “any idea why?”

“It’s not my place to say,” Light followed, “but I think she’s worried about you. She told me you’re a detective now, in addition to your regular job, and, I don’t know, maybe she’s worried you’re spreading yourself too thin?”

“My new position is only temporary,” L clarified, “and she already knows I don’t require as much sleep as other people, so she shouldn’t have to worry.” L thought for a moment, his brow furrowing before he continued. “When did you talk to her, if I may ask?”

“She returned a plate earlier today, I invited her in so I could give her a cookie recipe and we got to talking. I think the plate was an excuse to initiate conversation, honestly.”

L nodded and looked around the room for a moment. He wasn’t used to having guests; even on Halloween he left his porch light off so no one would ring his doorbell for candy, not that parents would let their children come up to his door even if he left the light on, which was fine with him. Even from the outside, the house seemed to radiate an oppressive aura that warned outsiders to keep their distance. If L believed in the paranormal, he’d think that Liam’s spirit was still haunting the building, his presence keeping the outside world at bay. “I’m sorry she used you as a messenger,” L looked down to his long pale fingers, “I’ll talk to her at work.”

“It’s okay, it gave me an excuse to see you.” Light smiled, his cheeks the faintest shade of pink under his sun-kissed complexion.

“I’m glad it did.” L swallowed, shyly reaching a single hand out to timidly hold Light’s, relieved when he was greeted with a smile on the other mans face when he looked up.

Staring into the magnifying desk lamp, L studied the tears in the flesh and looked to his notebook, quickly drawing the pattern left behind by the tool used to sever the arm.

“L,” Arma called out as she entered, leaning her slender frame against the door, “you know mom’s not going to be happy seeing you here before you’re supposed to clock in.”

“She’s used to it by now.” L looked back to the magnifying light, “What would she say about you doing the same thing?”

“Hey, I’m only a few minutes early, what about you? How long have you been here?” Arma teased as she pulled on her lab coat, “Did you even go home last night?”

“Yes, and I have Mochi as a witness if you want to verify my story.” L looked over his shoulder, watching the blonde roll her eyes with a smile and walk over to the sink, washing her hands. “And it’s probably better I don’t tell you how long I’ve been here. Just know I got work done.”

“Mind if I see?” Arma asked, walking over to peek over L’s shoulder, but took a step away when L looked up at her, his coal-like eyes silently telling her what she already knew. After a mumbled apology from her, L slid the young woman his notebook, to which she happily took and began to look through, flipping through the pages as she looked over them. “You got all of this done in one night?”

L hummed an affirmation, his ears barely registering the sound of turning pages as he shut off the magnifying lamp and covered the arm with a medical sheet, turning and sliding off his stool. “I don’t think this is our original killer,” L explained.

“What makes you say that?” Arma looked up from the notes, her brow furrowed in curiosity.

“Well our first killer didn’t take the bodies to other places after killing them, they left the victims where he killed them. And he didn’t sever limbs or take any skin, just organs and muscles. Also, his technique with previous confirmed victims hadn’t changed until now, which would be illogical for a person this smart because suddenly changing his pattern would make it more likely for him to be caught.”

“So, what, you think we have two serial killers now?”

“No,” L bit the tip of his thumb, “it could be a copycat or someone who is trying to pin their own killing on the first one.”

“Have you guys come up with a name for the killer yet? It would be so much easier to follow if you did so we don’t have to guess which “the killer” you mean.”

L cocked an eyebrow at Arma as he looked at her. “Uh, I’ll mention it to Charlie later.”

“I’d suggest ‘The Harvester’ for a name.” Arma handed L his notes before taking the arm off the metal table and returning it to one of the drawers.

“I told you, that theory was dismissed.”

“I don’t hear you coming up with any names.” She retorted as she walked back towards L, leaning on the table as he sprayed the surface with the cleaning agent and wiped it down. “Plus, whoever it is, they take the organs for something, so ‘Harvester’ still works.”

“I’ll mention it.” L tried not to roll his eyes.

“Mention what?” Arma and L both turned at the sound of Charlie’s voice.

“Not important right now,” L dismissed, despite the gentle slap on the arm that Arma gave him, “why are you here?”

Charlie looked like he wanted to glare at L but restrained himself. “Get your bag. Someone found a leg in a parking lot.”

“You’re a leg man, aren’t you, L?” Arma smirked at the glare L shot her before patting his shoulder. “I’ll grab the bag.”

“Just for that comment, I’m getting the front seat.”


	14. quick announcement (will be deleted later)

previous chapters were revised, edited, and combined into one chapter. you can re-read it if you want, but its basically this:  
1) Light still slept under L's bed  
2) Light went home, tortured Shawn, I added a bit more torture and a bit of gore if that's your thing, but he stops to go to work and has a date with L later that night. he still gets advice from pops .  
3) the date is the same, but that's when he decides to use Gabby and Shawn to make L a puzzle  
4) he tortures Shawn more, not intending to kill him just yet, but when hes ignored he kills him and mentally revises his plan so he can still make L's puzzle.  
5) in the morning, L and the team are called to the arm scene. same as previously written.

From then on, the previous chapter (now called Photographs) is different and i do recommend you read that.  
Im sorry for the inconvenience, i had to go over and revise this myself since i dont have a beta reader to tell me beforehand when things are out of order. I'm really sorry! I'll do better from now on.

i really hate revising!


	15. Heaven, Hell, and Wool Blankets

The chill of the autumn air and the drizzle of rain made L pull the hood of his jacket over his messy dark hair as he stepped out of the car, Arma carrying the tool bag in her hand and coloring as L held up the yellow police tape so she could duck under it first. Following behind her, L quickly found that Carol was already at the scene; her neat brunette hair hidden beneath a grey knitted beanie as she hurried them over.

“How’d you get here before us?” Arma asked as they all pulled on protective gloves.

“I was going the long way to work to pick up breakfast for us but stopped when I noticed there were already police and a coroner van here. Obviously, we were already going to be called to the scene, so I stopped and called Charlie to get you two from the lab.”

“I know how you figured he’d be there,” Arma pointed a thumb to L, “but how’d you know I would be?”

“I didn’t, but I figured he’d call and pick you up on the way here. Get your notepad, I’ve already gotten the initial look; it’s a right leg, size suggests a male, almost entirely skinned but there is a small bit left indicating the person was Caucasian. The entire gastrocnemius muscle to the soleus muscle missing.” Arma quickly wrote down the notes her mother gave her while Carol and L squatted over the small white sheet and lifted it just enough for them to look inside so the drizzling rain wouldn’t wash away any possible evidence. Carol cursed the grey clouds that darkened the world as she took a small flashlight from the bag and shined the light over the pink flesh as L looked over it with a magnifying glass.

“The skin at the severing point is torn in a similar way the arm was,” L noted, “probably from the same victim, but a DNA test will be done to ensure that. It was probably left by the same person as well.” L paused looking over the leg for a moment after noticing dips in the remaining muslce, moving to the opposite side with Carol following. Lifting the sheet once again and asking Carol to shine the flashlight at a certain angle, L looked closely. “There’s tearing and an abnormal pattern unlike any weapon or blade.” L furrowed his brow in thought. “Scraping marks closing together, and the point of contact indentations are all different sizes…” L felt like the insides of his chest flipped, his eyes widening. “I think we have a bite.”

“L, that’s not funny.” Carol scolded with a face harsh like stone.

“If I wanted to make a joke, I’d say something about the missing calf muscles and veal,” L rolled his eyes and received a smack on his arm from Arma for that, though he understood he deserved it that time. “I mean we have a chunk of muscle missing on the tibialis anterior here on the front of the leg, below the shin, and it looks like a bite mark was left.” Carol leaned over to look through L’s magnifying glass as she observed the distinct indents of teeth. “Based on the shape and angle of the bite, they’re most likely markings from the incisors to premolars. We can contact that forensic dentist from the Richard Daniel case and dental records can be used to identify the biter.”

“So, we may have found Harvester?” Arma asked excitedly, her brown eyes shining despite the darkness of the clouded sky above.

“Who?” Carol looked up at her daughter with a questioning look.

“The serial killer.” L clarified.

“Ah.” The older woman softly nodded before returning her attention to the severed limb, “Well, hopefully yes, then we will have them.”

“What, you don’t like the name?” Arma questioned defensively, ducking her head down when her mother gave her the look that always silenced her.

“Continue, mister Lawliet.” Carol instructed.

Light held the small paper plate out to Gabby. “I promised I would give you solid food. You’ve been good, so I figured now was the time do reward you.”

Gabby’s hand shook as she reached out, her eyes flicking back and forth between the offered food and Light like a wild animal watching to see if a human was offering it a treat as a way to trick it into security before being attacked. Snatching the food away, she began to rapidly eat.

“Good, right? I made the biscuits from scratch myself. The sausage is a bit more exotic, but I have more if you want.”

With crumbs on her dirty pale face, Gabby nodded. The girl would end up eating four sausage biscuits, much to Light’s delight. Finally full, the redhead leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, her breathing so soft and even Light was about to think she fell asleep when her tired voice strained to be heard. “Please, tell me where he is?” she turned her head, revealing the extent if the dull and dryness of her eyes, “Where is Shawn?”

Squatting down to be at eye level, Light reached out a hand to stroke her hair soothingly for a moment, noticing she was either too weak or too tired to flinch away from his touch. “Somewhere peaceful, I believe.”

“You mean like heaven?”

Light thought for a moment, tossing the idea of an afterlife, heaven and hell and a deity around in his mind. He hadn’t heard his biological parents mention any beliefs when he was little, just that their bodies hurt when they went too long without their fix. Shaking his head, Light answered. “No. I can’t see myself believing in a god who lets bad things happen to children or knows bad things will happen to them but does nothing to stop it.” A beat of silence passed, Gabby allowing her eyes to close again, never flinching away from the hand petting her hair. “Do you believe that a god would let this happen to you? To your loved one?”

“No. But a devil would.”

“You think I’m a devil?” Light pulled his hand away, the words weighing on his tongue.

“Aren’t you?” Gabby mumbled weakly before her eyes that she had been struggling to keep open fell shut, her tired body and mind too weak to let her stay awake for long. Or maybe it was the drugs in her system that Light had administered to her while she was asleep so he could puppeteer her for L’s puzzle.

Standing up, Light left the basement, flicking the switch to turn off the single bulb, allowing the basement to be swallowed by darkness and silence as he walked up the stairs, making sure to lock the door behind him.

_Devil_. That name didn’t feel right. Surely there were people out there more deserving of that title than he was. Sure, he wasn’t a saint, but he wasn’t the worst.

Absentmindedly twirling his tongue around the sucker between his lips, L read over the email he had typed out to the forensic dentist before deciding it was more than professional and stressed the urgency of the situation, sending it once he found it satisfactory. Leaning back against his couch, L held the stick of the sucker and manually twirled the treat in his mouth, the rapid movement pleasantly tickling the tip of his tongue and lips as he let his mind and eyes wander. Resting his head back against the spine of the sofa, L stared up at the ceiling for a moment before letting his eyes close, letting his muscles relax to the point he felt like his body was melting into the cushioning and fabric, and actively pushing his thoughts away.

There were only a few instances in his life where L could remember his mind being silent, even for a brief second, where the world was quiet, and those were the most peaceful seconds in his life. Blocking his thoughts was a rarity he never allowed himself to indulge in while he grew up. He feared the consequences of not hearing his father or mother, should they call for him, and though the quiet of his mind was a reprieve, he only let himself come close to that feeling late in the night when he laid in bed, the dark stillness of his room swallowing him into sweet nothingness.

The thoughts always had to come back, though; as a child it was more difficult to let the silence go, sweet silence suddenly bombarded with thoughts that moved too fast and questions he didn’t have the resources to answer. It was like building a bam and letting the water build up behind the wall, just to rip the barrier away too fast and letting the water flood whatever it touched.

Of course, as he got older, L learned to let his thoughts slowly return rather than sweep him away like a typhoon. L breathed deeply and let his thoughts trickle back, flowing through his mind like a gentle stream.

The thoughts that came all flowed in one direction; Light, and their heated moment on the very couch L sat on. The warmth of Light's body, his touch working L's body in ways L had tried and failed to recreate on his own, and the spark of pleasure that bloomed like a flower. Honestly, L hadn't wanted to stop when Light reached for his pants but in the moment, it felt like the world had stopped but everything he had felt was going by in a blur before he could really appreciate it.

Still, now alone with his thoughts that he let flow where they may, L couldn't help but imagine what it would have been like if they had continued; a more difficult task than he thought since he hadn't much experience, but what if the roles were reversed?

Lazily tonguing the sucker still between his lips, L pictured himself with Light, chocolate brown eyes almost swallowed by a pupil blown wide with lust as L kissed down his neck and chest, leaving the softest traces of his lips down a toned torso as his long pale fingers caressed the dips and divots of Light's hips, slowly working his trousers open, letting the pads of his fingers graze along the fabric covering the protruding length as he kissed at the waistband the same way Light had done to him.

The chime of L’s computer drew him back to reality, breaking his mental dam and his mind suddenly overflowing with thoughts. With tired eyes, L shook his head, doubting that the forensic dentist had already found a match.

Of course, it was just a reply that told him the odontologist would make this case his top priority and assured him that they would get updates when they were available.

Shutting the laptop closed a little harder than necessary, L slid off the couch and sulked as he made his way to the kitchen to find something strawberry flavored, preferably with either vanilla or strawberry icing.

Light watched as Leeanne and her son left the trailer, Leeanne’s sister pausing to lock the door behind them and hiding a spare key under a garden gnome before joining the others, climbing into the car. Light see the boy excitedly chattering about something Light couldn’t quite hear as they all fastened their seatbelts and drove off, passing by the overgrown bush Light hid in without even a glance.

Once the car was out of site down the street, Light stalked over to the trailer, picking up the old weathered gnome and taking the key from under it. Not the most creative way to hide a key, but at least the thing it was stored under was original.

Once inside, Light took in the environment; about average, he guessed, if not a little dated. Wood paneling that blended in with the overhead cabinets in the small kitchen, self-adhesive linoleum floor in the kitchen, a small round table. To his right an old floral couch was seated against the wall, the curtains over the window behind it closed. Everything looked decent enough on first glance, but then he noticed the water stains in the ceiling tiles that reminded L of his time in school. Curiously, Light pushed his palm up against the tile, unsurprised that it was a drop ceiling tile that popped up and moved.

Light walked through the kitchen, pausing to look at the mess of papers strewn about the surface, some marked in red ink with “overdue” and “final notice” on them, clearly left there by a rubber stamp. Lips puckered after looking through the bills and bank statements, Light filed the information away for later and walked down the narrow hallway and continued his search.

The bathroom was an off white, part of the floor near the toilet sank in, but the water ran clear when he turned on the sink, though it didn’t warm up.

Light didn’t feel weird about going through his coworker’s house; he was just checking the environment out, making sure it was safe for the kid. If anything, he was being cautious.

Rifling through what he could only assume was Leeanne’s dresser, Light’s gloved dingers brushed against something that crinkled. Pulling it out, Light read over the short, thin paper; it was a receipt from a pawnshop. Light hated those things; they seemed to have a distinctive smell like a dentist’s office, under payed for items just to sell them for an insane markup lined walls and glass display cases. It made bile rise in his throat, memories of his parents selling things they had owned or stolen from other stores and shop managers looking at them with disgust or a sneer.

Shaking the thought away, Light looked back to the receipt.

Item sold: one (1) ladies 14kt 4mm gold wedding band. $200, check.

Light paused, thinking back to the times when he had spoken to Leeanne; she never mentioned a husband, though obviously they must no longer be together if she sold the ring. Continuing his search, Light continued to dig finding nothing of interest until he heard the weighted tap of metal on wood. For a second, it took him back to his early childhood and made his blood freeze. The tap of metal on wood meant that scary people were at the door, and mom looked scared, telling Light to hide in the bathroom and sit in the tub, coated with grime and stay there no matter what until she told him it was okay to come out.

Pulling back a few folded shirts, Light stared down at the dark metal of a small handgun. After checking, finding that it was loaded, Light set the object back down and put everything back to the way it had been before leaving, letting himself out and locking the door behind him, making sure to leave the key back under the garden gnome before hurrying along the dirt path before he could be spotted.

He had found no drugs, nothing to suggest that either Leeanne or her sister were currently or ever were users, no hard liquor, nothing to suggest the kid was in immediate danger. Except the gun. Cold ran over Light’s back as he remembered the weight of it in his palm. His heart felt like it was both buzzing and frozen in place at once, and a rock was weighing in his stomach. He’d find a way to bring the topic up to Leeanne later, after he washed the acidic taste of bile and dread out of his gullet.

The basement felt more chilled than usual when Light descended the stairs, or maybe that was just leftover from his adventure earlier that night. Either way, he had come down to work on his wood whittling project to calm himself, but paused when he walked past Gabby; she still wore the revealing clothes from the club, her body shivering as she huddled into herself, trying to find warmth. The shaking of her body had made the image of L shaking pop up in Light’s mind, and the barely audible hum of comfort he had given when Light wrapped his jacket around him.

“It’s not much,” Light said as he looked down at Gabby, her eyes rising up over her arm to meet his, “but this will keep you warm.” Light wrapped the grey wool blanket around the girls exposed shoulders, to which she immediately wrapped herself up in as Light tossed the pillow he had brought to Gabby’s side. “Do you want me to leave the light on?” greasy red hair shook as Gabby nodded. “Alright. I’ll be down with food in the morning, just, uh, sleep tight, I guess.” Light turned, feeling the girl’s eyes on him as he walked up the stairs, pausing halfway up when he heard a croaked, strained voice that could have been mistaken for the wind speak.

“Thank you.”

Unsure of how to respond, Light just gave a hum and continued up the stairs, the urge to run up them as fast as he could was just beneath his skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this is super late and shorter than usual! I was fighting allergies and a cold, and I've been working on job applications and had an interview yesterday but I'm getting back to my writing schedule and resuming updates at least once every two weeks. Again, my sincerest apologies for keeping anyone waiting and breaking schedule!


	16. Chapter 16

It took only a week for most of the body parts to be found. Now that they had all but the right hand and an ear, and the urging of chief Wammy to find what they could, insisting that if the hand turned up then they could conduct a separate examination, they could officially conduct an autopsy.

The dieners opened the bag that looked like it was meant to carry a bowling ball and broke the seals, one of them trying to hold back a wince at the image of a young mans severed head. Even Arma looked shaken as she took the autopsy picture, her complexion almost sickly in the florescent light. Once the bag was removed by the diener that didn’t look like they were about to lose their breakfast, L inspected the various limbs laid out on the table for dirt, residue, fibers, stray hairs, anything that could be used to help find their killer or at least where the man had been killed, but there was nothing. As Arma noted that there was nothing found on the body, the dieners took the remains to clean them. L offered to take the place of the diener that looked like he was about to vomit, not out of the goodness of his heart but because he was afraid the idiot would compromise the remains by vomiting on them but was denied. The two then weighed the body, setting all pieces on the scale for the weight before putting them on the examination table, one attempting to lighten the mood by commenting how much easier it is to get the torso on the body block, but only received an uneasy huff that vaguely sounded like a laugh. Once the two finally moved aside, one getting his friend a dixie cup of water as they sat, the autopsy was ready to begin. As Arma collected her clipboard and prepared the tape recorder, L and Carol pulled on the protection gear and stepped up to the table.

With the body unable to be held together by anything, the image reminded L of a butcher’s poster showing what parts of cows and pigs specific cuts of meat were from. A small part of him wanted to call the funeral home and tell the mortician to come and sew the body up before they started, just so all the pieces were in place, but that would just waste their time and complicate the process.

Once Arma had the items ready, noting on the report that all pieces had been found naked, she approached the table and sat the tape recorder in its usual spot, finger ready to press the button. “Ready when you are.” With a mutual nod from her mother and L, they began.

“The date is October nineteenth, two thousand and eighteen, the time is ten forty-seven, ante meridiem.” Carol began, “The victim was found naked, so no notes of clothing will be available. There are definitive bite marks on every limb, including three on the torso. The photos of these have already been taken and sent to the forensic odontologist for identification of the biter. The victim is Caucasian, identifiable since most of the body is not skinned, male, early twenties, short brown hair.” Carol turned her attention to L, who was currently working the eyeball to see its color.

“Eye’s are brown, with a clouded cornea, signifying the victim has been dead for at least two hours but this is obvious since it’s taken two weeks for all the limbs to be found. There are no signs of subconjunctival hemorrhages, so we can rule out strangulation.” L leaned up and glanced over the length of the remains. “Height is five feet, ten inches, weighed in at one hundred-sixty-seven pounds. There is a stab wound in the left side of the neck, severing the jugular vein. Victim would have bled out in seconds, so this is the cause of death.

As doctor Jones mentioned, there are multiple bite marks present all over the body, almost all having taken away chunks of skin and muscle, including on the skinned right leg, the left inner biceps femoris and Semitendinosus. As previously mentioned there are three bites in the torso, placed at the right pectoralis major, left tendinous intersections and right linea alba. The size of the bite indicates the person was female, but this will have to be concluded by the odontologist. All limbs were severed; the bones broken at the severing points and lacerations in the flesh indicate a tool with multiple teeth, likely a power tool.” L concluded.

“Very good.” Carol nodded as she picked up the scalpel, uncapping the blade. “We will now begin the internal examination.” Carol spoke clearly for the recorder, slicing the two arms of the Y running from each shoulder joint, having them meet at mid-chest before she cut the stem of the Y running down to the pubic region, L quickly using towel clamps to hold open the incision, and continued to assist as the day went on.

Light normally shut out Leeanne’s chatter, but considering his activities before the sun rose, he was instantly focused on everything she said. Most of it was useless, but he was patient. He’d waited much longer for less, and it finally paid off when Leeanne finished serving the customer their order, the bell ringing behind them as they left. The synthetic redhead glanced around them; eyes weary of prying ears despite the fact they were alone in the shop before she leaned in close to Light. “You know the Millers?” she questioned, Light nodding as she whispered to him, keeping her voice down so Pops wouldn’t hear her “well this morning apparently Jill went to get the mail and found a severed head in the mailbox! The street was blocked off and I couldn’t get through the crowd that surrounded the house! The cops weren’t saying anything, but poor Jill was sitting in the back of an ambulance with a blanket over her, shivering. I asked one of her neighbors and apparently, she had gone hysterical when she found it, not that anyone can blame her. I would be, too.” Light acted sympathetic and concerned for the woman, listening to Leeanne go on as he thought of how his plan was close to coming to fruition. The personal puzzle he was crafting for L was ready for the next step, and it took all the self-control he had not to skip home that evening. But once he was home, he let himself practically bounce in excitement as he opened his fridge, pulling out the meat he had been saving just for this, letting the oven preheat as he shaped the raw pink flesh.

Once it was done, Light descended the stairs, trying to keep from smiling as he watched Gabby eye the paper plate he had.

“I know most people don’t like it, but I made meatloaf.” Gabby eagerly reached out for the large serving of food, uncaring as Light pulled up his little stool and sat watching her for a moment. Poor thing was starved, but it would be over soon. By the time the plate was half finished, Light finally spoke. “I was thinking about the other day,” the girls tired, bloodshot, sunken brown eyes looked up at him, still eating as he spoke, “you know, how you wanted to know where your boyfriend is. I can’t tell you right now but, you will find out soon.”

“Really?”

“Really. But first you must eat. The sooner you finish, the sooner you will know.” Light watched the movements of Gabby’s fingers as she ate the next few handfuls and smiling when he noticed a gleam in the next handful she put in her mouth. She paused, her brow furrowing as her tongue visibly worked the mysterious item to the front of her mouth, spitting it out into her hand. She looked even more confused for a moment, turning the ring in her fingers before she paused, her hand starting to shake as she looked up at Light, greasy strings of red hair falling into her sickly pale face. Light couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face, and amusement when the girl started shaking, gagging as she started to violently wretch.

Light Laughed, glee holding his twisted grin as the girl sobbed, hunched over and howling her miserable final moments as Light let her mourn and vomit up all she ate while he collected what he needed from the cabinet, knowing he’d have to return to get some of it out in a few moments. Light set the disposable shower cap to keep any stray hairs from falling on her and pulled his leather gloves on, grabbing a knife before walking over to the hyperventilating young woman, grabbing her arm and easily rolling her onto her back and sitting himself on her stomach to prevent her from moving or fighting back in any way. Tears streaked her pale face, her face contorted in a pain that almost hurt to see. “Don’t be sad, my dear, you got a few good meals out of him.” Before she could say anything, Light brought the knife down into her chest repeatedly as fast as he could, the screams slowly dying out until silence was ringing in his ears.

With a huff, Light sat for a moment and caught his breath. He could feel his heart pumping in his chest, the dull thudding slowly easing as he stood up, and dragged the girl up against the wall, propping her head back before he returned to the cabinet to grab a long silicone tube and a long wire. Setting those beside her, he moved to the freezer pulling out the hand and ear he had saved for this moment. Setting the body parts on his seat, Light held Gabby’s head by her hair and slid the tube down her throat, and grabbed the ear from the nearby stool, placing it at the opening and working it down the tube with the wire before pulling the tube out, satisfied that he had pushed the ear out into her stomach. Now was the hard part; move an entire body to somewhere someone would find it in a day or two, but not a child, and not be seen disposing of it. Looking over his shoulder, his face scrunched up in disgust as he remembered the girl had thrown up all that she had eaten. He’d have to clean that, too.

Light felt like his shoulders sagged as he went upstairs to get the mop, pausing by the rest of the meatloaf he had made. Lips pursed, he grabbed a fork, taking a bite from the dish and nodded to himself. He guessed that he should have tried something other than extra paprika to hide the taste of slightly overcooked beef. Still good though.

L slinked around the room like a shadow as he moved unnoticed by the rest of the investigators, though he wondered if he could call them that when he was able to sneak by them so easily. Even Charlie seemed like he was about to jump out of his shoes when L stood behind him, a long finger tapping his shoulder.

“You scared me, L.” the man huffed, palm placed in the center of his chest. “Is that the report for the fella?” Charlie gestured to the manila folder in L’s hands. “That goes to Hayes, but she’s on her break. I’ll give it to her for you.”

“Why would it go to Hayes?” L questioned.

“It’s not part of the serial killer case. You said it yourself; _“leaving body parts behind isn’t part of his m.o”, _remember?”

“And I stand by that, but this was too well done to be anyone but the same person. The remains were left around easily where people would easily find them, but no one saw any suspicious persons near the scenes, meaning the person who did this is not only smart but wanted the pieces to be found.”

“That’s pretty fucking obvious when he leaves the head in a fuckin’ mailbox.” The foul-mouthed man bit out when he walked by. Al, L thinks his name was?

“Watch it.” Charlie warned as the man walked away before turning his attention back to L. “Besides the rudeness of his of the way he said it, he does have a point.”

“Normally, I would agree but, look at this.” L opened the folder and flipped through the pages, stopping at a note. “There’s no uneven tearing in the severing points, meaning the person who cut the man up most likely used a power tool.”

“Lots of people have power tools, L.”

“Yes, but a person who had never used one before would have been shaky, the movements uneven and leaving a tearing pattern. Basically, they would have had to know how to use it, how to use it to cut up a body, and to know how to do that, they would have needed practice. Lots of practice.”

Charlie moved his mouth, his hands gesturing awkwardly as he tried to come up with a rebuttal. “So, what? The killer-”

“Arma calls them Harvester.”

“Alright,” Charlie rolled his eyes, “_Harvester_ suddenly changes his routine. Why now?”

“I don’t know.” L admitted.

“Look,” Charlie rubbed his palm down his face, “I’ll keep what you said in mind but for now, these are separate cases, and you’re only consulting on the serial killer.”

“’Harvester.”

Charlie gave a firm look, a borderline glare at L’s correction before shaking his head slightly and letting his face relax. “Why “harvester”? You said they weren’t taking the organs or muscles for black market organ selling?”

“Yes, but he or she still takes them. And it’s only a temporary name.”

“Alright,” Charlie spoke more to himself, “I’ll give the file to Hayes and mention your theory to Wammy, see what he thinks.”

L nodded, familiar with the tone that dismissed his presence and handed Charlie the folder before leaving the investigative department, a cold presence hovering behind him as an all too familiar voice repeated in his head, seemingly dismissing his entire existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably start posting other quick works on AO3 between updates and fic ideas on twitter if anyone is interested in reading those as well.  
I'm sorry if this chapter is shorter than expected or seems off, I had trouble organizing my thoughts and getting them down, so if you have any criticism you'd like to share I'd be more than happy to receive it.  
Stay safe out there!


	17. Watching Each Other Question the Mother

L rubbed his face as he walked in the door, his eyes heavy as he slipped his shoes off in the foyer and paused noticing Mochi wasn’t there to greet him. Brow furrowed; L moved to the family room as he called for his companion. “Mochi? If you’re trying to scare me it won’t work.” L kneeled on the floor and checked under the sofa but sat back in his heels when no sign of the animal was found. Standing up, L moved down the hall to continue his search; it wasn’t uncommon for the cat to curl up in the sink of the main bathroom since it was so rarely used. When he got close enough, L peeked through the door was he walked, smirking when he found the cat laying in the sink as he expected, the cat’s eyes still slowly opening as it raised his head. “Hey bud-” L paused when the soles of his foot met water, drops splashing from the scuffing of his dragging step. “What the hell?” L looked around the small hallway and seeing as there was no water leaking from the main bathroom, L guessed the source was from the laundry room. Pushing open the door, the shallow water rippled across the tile as L entered. Scrambling, L tried looking around the washing machine, unsure of the issue and trying to keep the water from spreading.

L had gotten so caught up in trying to figure out the issue that he hadn’t heard the doorbell ring, or the sound of the front door opening. “L?” a voice called from the foyer.

“Light?” L called back, momentarily confused when he remembered that they had a date tonight. Resisting the urge to bang his head against the dryer, L continued to call out. “’I’m in the back! Just give me a moment.”

“Hey, is everything okay?” Light asked as he followed the sound of L’s voice, his footsteps splashing as he entered the laundry room with L. “Okay, I guess not.”

“It’s really not. I don’t know what’s broken in this, uh,” L waved his hand at the washing machine, “thing. It’s just leaking, and I’ve been trying fix it since I got home.” L huffed.

“Here, let me take a look.” Light moved over to the machine pausing to briefly look over its surface and in the bin; he nodded to himself as he began to push the unit aside just enough a person could reach behind it. L peeked over Light’s shoulder, watching him looking over a trio of tubes and a metal box set in the wall where all the tubes lead to. Light pulled open the small door, finding valves and turning the left one off. “Your water hose is leaking. I turned the water flow off, but you’ll need a new one before you can turn it back on.”

“Thanks.” L ran his long damp fingers through his messy hair.

“Do you have a spare?”

“I don’t know, actually.” L brought his thumb to his lips before looking to a metal shelf above the washing and drying units and pulling a white tub down, opening it up and began digging through it for a moment. “I have no idea what any of these are. They all look the same as the hose-thing.” He admitted with a sigh.

“May I look?” with a nod from L, Light began to look through the various tubes before grabbing one with a smile. It took only two minutes for Light to replace the part and turn the water back on, pleased when no more water leaked from the connections.

“Thank you.” L bit his thumb, the corners of his lips twitching as Light smiled at him.

“No problem, now just to clean this up.” Light looked at the water covering the tiled floor. “I’ll help you clean up. Do you have a mop?”

“I think so.”

“Well I’ll get started in here with some towels if you can go check?”

L nodded, leaving and returning to a few minutes later with paper towels and an old mop that he should probably replace soon.

It took a little over an hour to clean up the water and dry the floors, L awkwardly following Light’s advice and his cheeks flushing any time the man insisted on helping him. It felt strangely domestic, but L decided he didn’t mind the feeling.

“I think that’s it.” L looked around as he moved an old towel around the floor. “I think your floors will be okay but since they’re real wood, I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up needing some work later.”

L nodded awkwardly; thumb still bitten between his teeth. “Thank you for your help.”

“No problem.” Light beamed with a smile. “Do you still want to go out tonight?”

L didn’t really hear what Light said, his dark eyes were focused on the way Light’s shirt clung to his body, the wet fabric sticking to his skin and allowing the muscles to peek through. “You’re wet.”

“Oh,” Light looked down at his torso, “I guess so.”

“I uh, I have dry clothes you could borrow, if you want them.” L’s cheeks burned as he tried to avoid looking at Light’s body, but the urge to peek was getting harder to ignore.

“Would your clothes even fit me?” Light chuckled.

“Not mine. Spares.”

“Well, I’d probably freeze in this, huh?” Light smiled.

L sat on the couch; his gaze unfocused as he waited, listening for the door of the main bathroom to open and Light to emerge from the small hall. It had occurred to him that Light was naked in his house, and no matter how brief that would be, it made his heart pound in his chest. L had spent his sleepless nights fantasizing about them together but dismissed those thoughts shortly after, figuring Light was only looking for companionship but then memories of their heated moment on the very couch L now sat on made him reconsider.

The anticipation of waiting for Light to come out made his chest feel like it would burst, the center of his chest developing the faintest ache that wasn’t there if he didn’t pay attention to it, but there wasn’t much else to do while he sat.

When the light in the bathroom illuminated the wall as much as it could, L’s head snapped towards the hallway and bit his thumb so hard he wouldn’t be surprised if he tasted blood. The weighted footsteps came closer until Light’s smile and chocolate colored eyes greeted him and settled most of the ache in his chest center.

“Thank you for lending me these. They’re super comfortable.” Light sat beside L, his arm stretched over the back of the couch and over L’s shoulders. L nodded, his eyes quickly scanning over the sweatpants and tee-shirt he had dug out for his guest. When his eyes reached back to Light’s face, he knew by the slight smirk on the man’s lips that he had been caught and turned his head back forward to the TV, a stupid idea since the damn thing was off. “You never answered my question earlier,” Light mercifully decided not to mention L’s staring, “are you still up for our date?”

“I, I would like to spend the evening in…with you.” L quickly tagged on.

The smile grew on Light’s face, his already perfect face becoming angelic. “So, what do you want to do? We can watch a movie, order in, maybe you could give me the grand tour, or we could build a pillow fort.” Light softly laughed, a small smile having found its place on L’s lips. “I’d offer to make dinner, but I recall that you only eat desserts and candy.”

L exaggeratedly rolled his eyes. “You sound like Carol.” The two shared an amused laugh before falling into a brief silence before Light continued.

“Really, I’d like to make you dinner some time. Or we could cook together, if you prefer?”

“I don’t know how to cook. Most of my food is premade and from a bakery.”

“Come on everyone can at least make mac and cheese after like the fifth grade.” Light chuckled before examining L’s heating face. “Really?” L shook his head, the messy strands of black hitting his cheeks. “Okay, that settles it, I’m making you dinner at some point, and it will be real food.”

“You can’t make me eat anything I don’t want to, Light.”

“I have my ways, Lawliet.” Light teased, slowly leaning in towards L, his eyes flicking between L’s lips and his eyes, but he stopped just out of reach, his gaze now fixed on L’s in a pregnant silence. L felt his lips twitch in a fleeting smile before cautiously closing the distance, almost like he was afraid that Light would push him away. But when their lips met and began to mold together, Light, instead, placed a gentle hand on L’s hip, cupping the slight curve and rubbed his palm up and down L’s outer thigh. The brief moments of their lips separating for air caused L to chase Light’s kiss, their bodies moving closer until L boldly lifted his leg and straddled Light’s lap, his fingers carding through silky brown locks as Light’s hands roamed his back, experimentally getting lower and lower until he gripped and squeezed the flesh of L’s rear, the foreign touch causing L’s cock to twitch in its confines.

The kiss was broken when a meow broke the silence, both men looking over to see Mochi staring at them with judgement.

“Maybe we should take this somewhere else?” Light huffed with a smile. “Your roommate seems unamused.” L slid off Light’s lap, the drag of his crotch along Light’s leg doing nothing to help calm the tingling in his stomach as he took Light’s hand in his, leading him through the foyer and up the stairs to his own room, closing the door behind them so the cat wouldn’t disrupt them again.

By the tip L had turned around from locking the door out of habit, Light was already standing by the bed, his eyes lidded and looking over L’s approaching body.

The two exchanged no words before reconnecting their kiss, hands beginning their wondering once more as they fell back on to the bed. L sucking in a breath when Light guided his hips to roll, his hands gently squeezing his cheeks as he moved L’s narrow hips up and down. A delicious spark set off inside L, making him want to move his hips faster and press harder against the man below him.

The lips on L’s neck were soft, the graze of teeth or the tracing of Light’s tongue against the skin tickling in a way that he didn’t want to stop, and the warmth of palms stroking over his back and down the back of his trousers made him shiver, or it could have been the removal of his shirt. But warmth returned shortly after, Light discarding his own before pulling L so their chests touched, sun kissed skin meeting ghostly pale.

L pulled away; his shaking hands pressed on Light’s shoulders to prevent him from following the retreating lips. Their labored breaths synchronized with the rising and falling of their chests.

“I, I don’t want to have sex yet,” L explained, “but maybe we can,” he swallowed his nerves, “maybe we can try other things for now.”

Light nodded, his hands once again placed on the now bare skin of L’s sides. “Whatever you’re comfortable with, baby.”

The pet name made L’s heart leap, even if he believed it was only said in the spur of the moment. Wetting his lips, L rolled off of Light and laid next to him on his bed, his cheeks practically glowing as he lowered his pants, letting his erection out of the constrictive jeans, his hand disappearing into his briefs, and his fingers curling around himself.

Light followed suit, lowering the loaned sweats down to his thighs and letting his cock stand free, grabbing the shaft and stroking up and down its length.

L couldn’t help but watch as Light pleasured himself, his defined muscles twitching as he fell into his own company, his brow starting to glisten with sweat as he turned his face, letting his cheek hit the sheets before opening his blown out eyes and locking onto L’s with an unwavering look of hunger. L had never been good with eye contact, it was too personal and intimate for his taste; he often looked just above a persons eyes instead to avoid that awkward familiarity, but Light’s eyes were so captivating that he couldn’t look away.

Their faces were so close they could feel each other’s breaths fanning across their damp cheeks and brows; L couldn’t help but lean in, connecting their lips once again in a starved frenzy that was uncoordinated and sloppy.

“You look so lewd like this,” Light panted breathlessly, “I could watch you like this for hours.” Light’s teeth captured the lobe of L’s ear, nipping and sucking at the sensitive flesh. L continued to pant, words failing him and sticking in his throat as Light continued his assault. With the hypnotic gaze no longer drawing him in, L let his eyes wander over Light’s body, admiring the flex in his arm as he moved his hand, his chest and stomach tense with building pleasure, hips twitching up into his own touch. L wanted to ask to see the entirety of Light without his rapidly pumping fist blocking the view, but he could make out enough to know that he wanted it inside him.

Temptation and imagination becoming too great, L stuck two fingers of his free hand into his mouth and lathered them in saliva, a string of spit serving to connect them as he pulled them from his lips. Lighting his hips to allow his other hand to wiggle down the back of his underwear, L began to circle his entrance with the tip of his finger, letting his own spit coat it before pushing the digit push in.

He didn’t hum because it hurt; the intrusion just felt weird, but he worked his finger inside himself, loosening up the muscles before adding the second one and rocking down onto his own fingers with a pleased moan in Light’s ear. Lips crashed into his, Light practically drinking up every little sound L couldn’t hide and unabashedly letting his own out in turn, the movements in his fist getting more erratic and needy as he thrusted into his own hand, his face flushed and his eyes struggling not to flutter closed, not wanting to miss the sight of L fucking himself on his own fingers. L couldn’t help but look between Light’s rapidly moving hand and his handsome face, his long eyelashes gently falling on his cheek. L had been so enthralled by Light that he hadn’t noticed the climbing pleasure in his loins, his climax just at the precipice but unsure which way it wanted to fall, no matter how L stroked himself or fingered his prostate. It only served to continue the build, but not make the climax a reality. L couldn’t help the pathetic little whimper in the back of his throat, frustration building and desperation driving him to madness when Light spoke.

“I want you so much, want to make you feel good…want to make you mine.”

The words served to push him in the right direction, a rush of heat flooding the entirety of L’s body and making him tense as his mind went silent, leaving no room for thoughts, just feeling, and one word dripping from his lips like a prayer. “Light.”

The man who had pushed him over the edge of apex pleasure followed with a barely restrained groan, his moist forehead pressed against L’s as he twitched, stroking himself through completion until his body practically sagged into the mattress, his body more relaxed than L had ever seen it, even if it looked like a struggle to pull L’s face closer to his. “I really liked this date.” Light huffed, pressing his lips to L’s smiling face.

L felt like Carol would somehow know about his activities the previous night the moment he walked in to work the next morning; If L didn’t know better, he would have said she was psychic. He had once even made a joke, albeit a very bad one, about her having powers but she had laughed politely and insisted that it was mother’s intuition. Even knowing such things were impossible, L felt like his heart was about to leap out of his throat when he entered, and Carol immediately turned to him. Her normal greeting was assuring but his nerves still buzzed beneath his skin.

Sitting at his desk with his feet perched on the edge of his seat, Arma walking by and stealing a candy from his desk that he had set aside for himself, L started his computer and opened his email, warning Arma that she owed him for the butterscotch, only for his words to be dismissed by her playful laughter.

“Any word from the Odontologist, Doctor Pitts?” Carol asked as she filed something away.

“Checking now.” L mumbled; thumb bitten between his teeth as he opened the new email and read over it, quickly downloading the attached file before he spoke. “We have a match.” Carol practically apparated at L’s side and began reading over his shoulder, not noticing or caring that L leaned awkwardly to the side to maintain what little personal space he could have. “I’ll print out the information he sent and take it to Charlie.” L quickly sent the items to the printer and shimmied his lithe body out from his seat, quickly collecting the papers in a folder, labeling it _“biter”_ in red ink, moving to the stairs to leave Arma and Carol to their own work, also making a mental note to count the amount of candy he had left when he returned, sure Arma would snatch a few more pieces.

“We got a match from the dentist,” L casually slid the folder over Charlie’s desk, “A girl named Gabby Mayes.”

“Interesting.” Charlie paused at the label L had given it, his brow furrowed like he questioned the name before opening the folder. “Hey, where are you going?” the man stopped L, who had only gotten two steps away from the desk before being noticed.

L half turned back around to look at the aging man, his own brows cocked as he gestured toward the door with his thumb. “Back to work?”

“You agreed to be my partner as needed, and as of now you need to be in the loop on how we’re going about this case.”

“I thought I was only working on the serial killer one? Harvester?”

“A murder is a murder, and my cases are your cases now.” Charlie’s voice left no room for rebuttal, a heavy feeling settling in the back of L’s mouth at the familiar tone. At least the way he said it didn’t make the words sound like they dripped with venom like his father had. “First, I’m gonna make some calls and find miss Mayes’ next of kin, and when I do, you and I are gonna go ask them some questions and get a little closer to finding her. When we do, we’re gonna bring her in for questioning.”

“You sound like a tv cop show.” L commented. The cop gave an unamused look before telling L to be ready for him to call, thus dismissing L back to the lab. At least Arma would find his comment funny.

“Excuse me,” another cop stepped in, stopping L from his retreat to his job, “did you say “Mayes”? as in Gabriella Mayes?” she pressed.

“I did, why?” Charlie gestured for L to come back, which was obeyed with an internal sigh and an urge to drag his feet along the floor.

“She was reported missing a couple of weeks ago,” the officer picked a couple of sheets from the stack of papers in her arm, handing it to Charlie and one to L, “I was about to go and post these around, but you can call her mom’s number right here.” The woman pointed at the paper.

“L, call Carol and tell her you’re needed upstairs. I’ll call Mrs. Mayes and let her know we’re stopping by today.”

L ignored Charlie’s plea for him to take his feet of the edge of the seat in favor of watching out the window as the houses flew by. The neighborhood looked like picture-perfect suburbia, and L guessed there was a Homeowners Association somewhere fining an old woman an absurd amount of money for her grass being a quarter inch too tall.

“What am I supposed to do, there?” L questioned.

“Just do that thing you did with Al and the smoking thing. Watch them, see if you can see any indication of lying or if they’re withholding something. If you can, try to do it with the room or whatever. Just, Sherlock it.”

“Sherlock it?” L questioned with a single brow arched in question. “I didn’t know you read the books.”

“Well,” Charlie parked the car in a driveway, “I watched the show.”

“That makes more sense.” L climbed out of the car, the detective following close behind him as they approached the front door, L taking a moment to wipe his feet on the welcome mat as his partner knocked. An older woman with red hair tied back in a knot answers the door, guessing that they were the detectives that called. “Yes ma’am, I’m Detective Daniels,” Charlie showed his badge, “this is my partner detective Lawliet,” Charlie introduced them. L looked up, from the concrete to face the woman, who minutely jumped at his ghostly appearance. Not a new reaction, but still somewhat amusing to see. “May we come in?” Charlie continued.

“Yes,” the woman stuttered, “Yes please.” She stepped aside, letting the two of them in through the door and closed it behind them before leading Charlie and L in through a foyer and into the living room on the immediate left. The two sat on the pale floral couch, Mrs. Mayes taking the matching seat to the side of Charlie, her posture straight and stiff, her neatly manicured hands clasped together in her lap, reminding L of his mother.

“We are working on the case involving your daughter, Gabriella, and we need to ask some questions to help us find her.” L noticed the ambiguous way Charlie spoke so the woman wouldn’t suspect that her daughter was wanted for questioning. Perhaps he should give slightly more credit to the man from now on.

“Of course. Anything you need to find Gabby.”

“Does Gabby have any friends that she might have gone to stay with?” Charlie pulled his notepad from his jacket.

“She has lots of friends, I can’t keep track of them all. I know she’s good friends with her roommate, Andrea, you could probably get more answers on friends from her though.” The woman gave Charlie the address to her daughter college, dorm name and number.

“Did Gabby have any boyfriends or girlfriends? Any one she was seeing recently?”

“Yes, the same boy from high school, Shawn. I don’t have his number though, but I think Andrea would.”

“Did Shawn and Gabby have any issues in the relationship? Any big fights recently?”

“Never,” she shook her head, “they were amazing together.” L watched as she looked down at the diamond ring on her finger, fidgeting with it as her eyes watered.

“Any enemies? Fights with friends? A classmate? Anyone that might have wished her ill will?”

“None.” She insisted, baby red hairs falling from the motion of her shaking head. “Everyone loves her. Everyone is Gabby’s friend; every day she’d call me after classes and tell me about a new friend she made that day.”

“Mrs. Mayes-”

“Hannah. Please, call me Hannah.”

“Hannah,” Charlie corrected, “when was the last time you spoke to your daughter?”

“Two weeks ago,” Hannah’s voice was familiar; there was a tightness L knew from his mother; her throat waving as she swallowed down the building cries in her throat, “She and some friends including Shawn were going out for the weekend. She tried to tell me the name, but the call ended before I could get a name; I think her friends here rushing her, maybe but I’m not sure.”

Charlie nodded and asked a few more questions before excusing them, giving Hannah his card and telling her to call him if anything comes up. L climbed into the car, once again ignoring Charlie telling him to put his feet on the floor. “So, back to the station?” L questioned.

“For now. Tomorrow you’re coming with me to visit the roommate, so make sure to tell Doctor Jones when we get back.”

L rolled his eyes but nodded, slumping in the seat and bringing his thumb to his lips. “You lied to Mrs. Mayes; you didn’t tell her that her daughter is wanted for questioning.”

“No. If Gabby turns up then her mother may tell her, and that would tip her off. And I told her we were working on her daughters’ case; I just didn’t tell her which case it was. Technically, not a lie.”

“Wouldn’t that be cause for arrest if it was the other way around?”

Charlie gave a warning look before returning his eyes to the road. “Did you pick up on anything?”

“You make it sound like I’m a psychic.”

“Did you _observe _anything?” Charlie huffed, his brow wrinkling.

“I believe the boyfriend may have been hinting at proposing to Gabby to Mrs. Mayes. The mother fidgeted with her ring when we asked about partners.”

“Interesting. We’ll have to get in contact with the boyfriend through the roommate then.”

“Assuming the roommate is there.” L corrected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So did you guys think this chapter was more natural or was it about the same as the last one? Kinda boring? Do you think the physical aspect of L and Light's relationship is going too slow or not getting enough attention? I thirst for feedback.


	18. Alleyway

Light smiled, his fingers caressing over the smooth skin of L's back. The man had fallen asleep sometime after their intimate activity and curled up into Light's arms in his sleep. The gentle wind of his breathing tickled Light's chest in a way that had Light relaxing into the sheets, content to just watch L sleep. He hadn't thought breaking in and breaking the waterline to the washing machine would work this well, but he wasn't about to complain.

The poor man was practically helpless; he admittedly couldn't cook food of nutritional value, the dust that covered the home just meant he was either bad at cleaning or depressed, and the washing machine was just the final way of seeing how inept L was; if Light had shown up for the date and L had taken care of it, then they would have continued as normal but the fact that L had been trying to clean the water and didn't even think to check the waterline just made up Light's mind for him; he had to move in. It was a wonder L was still alive if this is how he lived. But now Light had to think of a way to make L invite him in permanently. It was early in the relationship and L didn't seem eager for a roommate; he was a recluse. Light was certain he was a shut-in before he started taking the man out on dates.

L shifted in his sleep, his perpetually messy black hair tickling Light's skin as he further pressed himself against Light, his pale face now nestled in the crevice between Light's neck and shoulder, his breath made goosebumps rise along Light's body. The ghostly figure settled once more, his sleep-addled mind satisfied with its new position; Light could feel L's length against his upper thigh and was easily able to reach a pale hip and rest his hand on the cool skin.

_He must run_ _cold. _Light reached his free hand over, awkwardly working the sheets and comforter over L and himself until it covered them both in pleasant warmth but even in sleep, L seemed to prefer Light's natural heat over anything else. As L slept, Light alternated between watching him and staring at the ceiling, plotting his next move as the morning approached.

L's eyes flicked around the pale orange and white halls of the dorm building hallways, his feet dragging on the grey office carpeting as he followed Charlie in his search for room 408.

The woman who had stopped them in the lobby had definitely irritated his companion with her questions of who they were and why they were in 'her' building; L guessed she was the head of the building or something, and he could understand she was just doing her job, but it seemed that Charlie was low on patience today and only flashed his badge, saying they were here on official business in tone that made L's heart practically freeze. He had made a note not to push any of Charlie's buttons today, though he seemed to do that naturally, and just followed the man up the four flights of stairs and down the halls, his pace to keep up with the man having him practically on Charlie's heels. He was lucky he didn't crash into his back when Charlie abruptly stopped at one of the doors, a metal plate with the room number above the peephole and music sounding from the other side.

"Remember what to do?" Charlie questioned. L only nodded, afraid he'd give a less than polite answer if he opened his mouth. That was all the officer needed to knock on the door firmly to make sure it was heard over the music. The sound abruptly stopped and after a moment, L guessed the person on the other side was looking through the peephole, the lock audioably unlatched, practically echoing in the silent hallway as a young woman opened the door.

"Good afternoon, I'm detective Daniels," Charlie showed his badge for the girl to see before putting it back in his pocket, "and this is my partner, Lawliet." the girl couldn't school her face upon seeing L's appearance. L gave an awkward half-wave, unsure what else to do. "Are you Andrea Woods?" Charlie continued.

"Yeah, is everything okay?"

"We're here about your roommate, Gabby. May we come in?"

"Of course, totally." Andrea opened the door further and stepped back into the room, allowing them to enter. "Sorry about the mess; Gabby was usually the one to remind me to pick up my side but with everything going on I forget to." she warned them as they entered, throwing some clothes off of her desk chair, offering one of them a seat as she herself sat on the edge of her unmade bed.

"That's understandable." Charlie assured as he sat down in the chair, leaving L to awkwardly stand over him and watch as Charlie pulled out his notepad. "We have a few questions to ask, just routine ones to help us when we're looking for someone, so try to answer as honestly as you can." Andrea nodded, running her palms over her legs before resting her arms on them, her long dark side ponytail falling over her tanned brown skin. "How long have you and Miss Mayes been roommates?"

"This is our third year rooming together. The school had you answer a survey to match you up with people who have compatible answers for roommates and at the end of the year you can choose if you want to room with that person again or if you want someone else next year."

"That's cool. Wish they had that while I was a student." Charlie smiled as he wrote that down. "What was Gabby like? Did she get along with people?"

"Totally, she is, like, the sweetest girl ever. Ask anyone in the building, they all have a story where Gabby helped them. Everybody is her friend."

_That narrows our friends list_ _down. _L sarcastically thought. Andrea's brown eyes were filled with unease as she glanced at him, pressing her lips as she rubbed her palms together.

"Would you mind if my partner looked around the room while we talk?" Charlie questioned.

"Knock yourself out." Andrea's eyes barely landed on L before she returned them to the officer and continued answering his questions.

L pushed himself off of the wall and looked around the room; the space was divided with Andrea's messy half on the right, Gabby's neat side on the left. The beds faced one another from the furthest opposite walls. Gabby's desk and Andrea's wardrobe were both against the back wall, Andrea's desk to the immediate right wall from entering the room and Gabby's wardrobe on the furthest left. The layout gave them plenty of space to walk around, though Andrea's side was covered in discarded clothes, textbooks, shoes, and crumpled up papers. Moving over to Gabby's desk, L looked through the drawers for anything that could be helpful but only found insanely overpriced textbooks, class notes, a few books, some assignments, and miscellaneous stationery items. 

Moving on to Gabby's bedside table, he found some nail polish, a few more books he flipped through and figured they were reading assignments based on the markings in them, an open box of condoms and a bottle of personal lubricant that made L's face burn as he shut the drawer before checking under the bed, not even finding a dust bunny. Rising from the floor, L moved to Gabby's wardrobe, pulling both doors open and began to look through for anything that may have been inside, even going as far as to feel inside the pockets and shoes for something that was hidden or forgotten. He was about to give up and shut the doors when he noticed the pictures taped to them; some were magazine cut outs, a few inspirational quotes, some photos of her family and her with friends, but there were a few that made his heart practically pound against his chest once he realized what he was looking at. The John Doe that they had spent three weeks collecting bits and pieces of was in a photo, a few years younger, wearing a tux and standing to a younger Gabby in a dress, his arm around her as they stood under a banner that read 'Junior prom!" in blue letters. There were a few more recent photos as well of the two, a couple at parties and one in some kind of restaurant where Gabby had her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Who is this?" L asked, moving aside so Andrea could see the photo he was pointing at.

"That's Shawn, Gabby's boyfriend."

"What's his last name?" L urged.

"Kissinger." Andrea shifted uncomfortably in her seat. 

"Charlie, come take a look." L didn't care about the eye roll Charlie gave, feeling like the quick 'excuse me' he gave the young woman was far too slow, but when the man looked at the photo L was pointing to, recognition dawned on his face quickly.

"I'll call Wammy."

It had been an hour drive to the college campus but what seemed like the entire police force had arrived in only thirty minutes.

L didn't get the chance to look around more before Charlie had told him Arma was waiting for him in the lobby to take him back to the station. Despite L's protests, Charlie pointed out that there was no body, hence the medical examiners weren't needed at the scene, thus L reluctantly left, his shoes dragging as he tried to prolong the inevitable.

The knowledge that there was a place being searched made L bite the inside of his cheek while Arma drove, fearful that his tone would reflect his agitation.

"You did good," the blonde praised, "fuck that, you did amazing! You got an ID on the John Doe just from looking around the biters dorm! Who else could have pulled that off?"

"Dumb luck," L refuted, his thumb securely bitten between his teeth, "any detective would've seen the pictures. Besides, they would've had to try to contact the boyfriend and discovered the connection sooner or later."

"Yeah but because we worked with him up close, you were able to same them, what, like two weeks that would have been spent trying to find some stiff that was right under our noses the whole time?"

"I wonder how Carol would feel about your phrasing." L thought aloud, his coal black eyes turned to the young woman.

Arma brushed off his thoughts with a quick flick of her wrist. "I'm just saying you saved a lot of time and resources, okay? You're a good detective," her fair cheeks colored as she glanced at L next to her, "just like I knew you would be."

"I'm only an acting detective. After everything goes back to normal, I'll be back in the lab and not interacting with people."

"Well, not alive ones." Arma corrected playfully.

L sunk down into the seat and stared out the window, watching the scenery go by as the car drove.

The night sky hungover the alleyway like a canopy as Light backed his car in between the buildings as far as he could.

He had chosen this alley, knowing that the surrounding businesses were currently closed for the night and the lack of an overhead made it impossible for there to be security cameras to be installed outside since the rain would destroy the devices.

Stopping his car, Light climbed out and walked over to the trunk, unfolding the old tarp to reveal the body hidden inside. Picking the remains up with a huff, he carryied it a little further down the alley to the large dumpster, the putrid stench assaulting his nose to the point he thought he would retch. But Light wasn't stupid, he knew what he was doing. Leaving DNA behind was the fastest way to be caught, and if he did then L's puzzle would fall apart. Swallowing the acidic taste rising in his throat, Light sat the dead girl down, carefully placing her beside the large metal bin. She would be found in a day or two if not tomorrow. Once he was satisfied with the placement, Light began walking back to his car and reached into his pocket, pulling out the plastic bag that contained the knife he used to kill her, his gloved hand protecting him from the blade as he dropped it. He had saved Shawn's hand just for this. Puppeteering the fingers around the handle to get the fingerprints on the murder weapon and leaving the blade at the scene so the prime suspect in L's gift was a dead man.

A smile grew on Light's face as he thought of L working to solve this little puzzle he had made just for him. He couldn't help but wonder if L's first reaction would be that this was the work of the original killer or if he would think this was a separate person. The latter gave him an idea, but he would have to wait and see what the future held for them. For now, he had to get home and take a long shower to scrub the filth of the alleyway and stench of the dumpster off of him before he went in to work.

Light hummed to himself as he opened the shop; it was routine at this point, seeing as Pops and Miss Elaine trusted him with the business. The knowledge that they believed he would take care of their ling running business, their livelihood, made his chest swell with pride every time, and so Light continued his duties; after a stop to the old punch in time clock in Pops office and leaving his lunch box in the small mini fridge Pops had for employee lunches, he turned on the lights, put the chairs on the floor, wiped down the tables, counter, and display counter. He continued with diligence until all duties were completed to his satisfaction, assuring himself that Pops and Miss Elaine would be pleased. 

With his duties finished and with plenty of time before he had to officially open the store, Light grabbed his lunch box from the mini fridge, taking the only item inside, Light walked down the small personnel hallway that led to a small area used for deliveries. One door lead outside where the delivery truck would park and the other lead to the cold room; the room was essentially a giant walk-in freezer with meat hooks hanging from the ceiling and holding whole beef or pork, drains in the floor for water to drain after cleaning pieces off, a counter that took up the entire length of the furthest wall where half of the counter was where the product was cleaned and trimmed, the other half was for grinding. 

There was a metal bar that hung over the counter, smaller hooks holding more exotic pieces of meat like heart, liver, brain, and one time a cow tongue. Light stood in front of the counter where an old sausage grinder sat; he and Miss Elaine had both tried to talk to Pops about getting a commercial one, worried about Pops' advancing age and the strain the manual crank would eventually put on his body, but the old man was adamant that they keep the antique, insisting that the product tasted better when made and prepared the old fashioned way. Light couldn't help but smile a little to himself; it was mostly Leeanne and himself that had taken to working the old thing so Pops wasn't straining himself so much, despite the man never having a problem with it and insisting with a smile that he had worked the thing for fifty years, he could work it another fifty more.

Getting back to the task, Light pulled out what was once Shawn's missing hand, having already cut it open and removed the bones at home. He found that the tools in any home were surprisingly effective for dissection, if not a little sloppy, but that could be fixed with enough of the usual practice combined with trial and failure of new techniques and methods. Putting some pork that needed grinding into the hopper piece, Light worked the crank until it was half empty before adding bits and pieces of the hand and more pig in the opening and repeated this task until finally everything was ground up so well that no one could tell the difference between what came from pig and what came from a man. the raw pink flesh looked all the same, and just in time too; Leeanne was here.

"Light?" she called.

"I'm in the cold room!"

A head of synthetic red popped in through the door that connected the cold room to the area behind the counter, her eyes immediately landing on Light. "Just letting you know I'm here!" she cheerfully smiled, "I see you're getting an early start on the breakfast rush."

"Of course!" Light smiled as he finished cleaning up the area and machine, joining Leeanne behind the counter after closing the cold room behind them. "How's your son, by the way? Is he liking baseball?"

"Andy's loving it!" she beamed, "He's doing so well, too! He has the biggest smile on his face when he plays and when I'm taking him to practice, I can't get him to sit still in the car he's so excited."

"I'm glad he's happy." This time, the smile Light gave was genuine.

  
  


L barely glanced at the crowd that had gathered behind the yellow tape, a few trying to peek over an officer’s shoulder to see what they could. One man had even walked along the tape, shoving past others as he tried to get a comment from Carol and Arma, keeping pace with the women as they walked. L was sure that the man would have followed them past the barrier if the officer hadn’t stopped him. L guessed that the man was the reporter Charlie had warned him about earlier, but he couldn’t have been that good, considering he didn’t even notice L as he walked by. Not that he would have said anything; it just made L think the man incompetant at his job.

L dragged the soles of his shoes down the asphalt of the alley, his eyes wandering to the surrounding walls and various officials before he looked ahead; Charlie stood with the foul mouthed cop, Al, whose eyes furrowed at the sight of the trio.

“We already called the dieners to pick up the body, so what the fuck are they doin’ here?”

“It’s part of the arrangement with Wammy,” Charlie clarified.

“I thought they were only called when we knew it was the work of that fuckin’ psycho that cuts people up? This ain’t that and-”

“If you have issues with Chief Wammy’s orders, take it to him. Didn’t I tell you to go get a statement from the person who found the body?” Charlie dismissed. Al walked away, grumbling to himself as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of gum, popping it in his mouth. Charlie turned his attention back to the trio and led them further down the alleyway. “I know this isn’t the work of the serial killer-”

“Harvester!” Arma corrected.

“ _ Harvester _ ,” Charlie bit out with an annoyed glance over his shoulder, “but Wammy insisted. And, well,” Charlie stopped in front of the white sheet laid out to cover the body, squatting down and lifting it just enough to reveal the face of the missing girl they had been looking for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is late! Long story short, I no longer have access to the email I used to set up my Microsoft account so the program was recognized as unlicensed and wouldn't let me even type, so i had to print everything out, retype it all, and continue the chapter. I don't know when I'll be able to repurchase the program since I'm a broke bitch so for now I'm using google docs and I'm still getting used to it so please be patient with me if you see typos or capitalization errors.  
Also my mom severely sprained her ankle to I've been taking care of her so it was difficult to find time to write. Yeah I've been stressed so I'm sorry about that! Anyway sorry for the delay!


	19. Statue Still

L stood over the metal table, his gloved fingers practically twitching as he waited for Arma to give the go ahead to start the autopsy. Movements felt slower, like Carol was taking her time to get ready but realistically L knew it wasn't true. Everything was proceeding as normal; though he knew how morbid it sounded, he was eager to start his work and once Carol stood across from him and Arma sat the recorder down and gave the nod, a small sense of relief fell over him as they began.

“Victim is caucasian, female. Hair is mid-back length, red, tangled and unwashed.” L noted as he forced open the eyelid with one hand and moved the eyeball to check the color. “Eye color is brown, and the cornea is clouded over.”

“The victim's age is twenty-two years old, and previously identified as  Gabriella  Mayes.” Carol continued. “Upon external examination, the toe nails are missing and the legs are severely bruised. Previously an X-ray was performed and confirmed that the talus, lateral malleolus, and posterior malleolus are completely shattered. The nasal bone was also found to be cracked during the X-rays; the stage of healing suggests it was recent, a possible sign of a struggle against an attacker. Mister Lawliet, please make the Y-incision.” 

During the internal exam, the sound of wet flesh being poked, shifted, and removed was nothing new to L; if anything, it reminded him of a video Arma had shown him of a person playing with a slime toy. Wet and gelatinous sloshing as L used the clamps to hold the liver back from the gallbladder and bile duct out of the way so Carol could cut the stomach from the esophagus and lower intestine, placing it on a sterile silver dish for further examination.

At the end of the autopsy, as the sterile sheet was laid over the colorless face of the young woman, Carol sighed and glanced at the recorder, making one last note before Arma turned it off. “Internal examination has revealed nothing further, but toxicology will be receiving samples of hair, skin, blood, and other tissue in the morning.”

As Arma reached to shut off the recorder, L placed his hand over hers before she could touch the button, not noticing the color that painted her cheeks. “I can collect the samples and take them to toxicology while you clock out. It’s an easy task and would save us time in the morning, and the attending dieners are still here to ensure that the remains are properly stored. If that’s okay with you, doctor Jones.” L’s coal-black eyes seemed to harden like stone, but if Carol or Arma noticed, they didn't say anything. It may have been his logic and reasoning, or perhaps the middle-aged woman was tired and ready to clock out for the night, but Carol agreed, leading her daughter away so they could dispose of their used personal protection gear and leave for the night.

Of course, L couldn’t just take the samples and go; he did do as he promised and collected the samples, but curiosity had gotten the better of him and now he was hunched over the table, sample tubes set to the side, eye peering through the lit magnifying glass as he gently turned one pale limp toe side to side. Shaking his head to himself, L grabbed a small notebook and pen from his desk, returning to the table and sketching the tearing patterns from what little remained from the nail. Turning the recorder back on, L noted the time and gave his name before his findings.

“As previously noted, the toe nails are missing, but the tearing pattern and bloody cuticles are consistent with them being violently torn off rather than falling out as a result from an injury or illness. I’ve drawn the patterns and will show my notes to Doctor Jones in the morning.”

L was about to quit for the night but the small cooler that housed the stomach seemed to be tempting him. L wishes he could say he struggled to decide if he should dissect the stomach himself or wait for morning to arrive and work with Carol, but he couldn’t. He had cut a slit into the organ, and began to remove whatever had been inside and collected more tubes from the supply cabinets and taken samples of stomach acid, and a greyish-brown substance that he couldn’t identify on sight alone.

“Further samples have been taken from the stomach; hopefully any food inside will at least tell us where the deceased was shortly before death and we can establish a timeline and witnesses from there.”

  
  


Light sat in the shadows outside of the station as he waited for L’s pale form to emerge. The corners of his lips twitched a little when he thought about how the police were searching for him, meanwhile he’s right in front of them, watching them and their pointless efforts to catch someone who might as well not exist.

Light was a patient man; he had to be. He had trained himself to be completely still for hours, not even letting his chest move as he silently breathed; one of the first skills he developed in his earliest years. Of course, back then it was different; he was covered in blankets and old pillows, trapping heat all around him as he listened to strange voices talking to his parents, footsteps walking around the tiny apartment that were so heavy he felt the dirty floors shake against his back. Light still didn’t understand the reason his parents had told him to lay completely still under the mess of bedding or told him he couldn’t make a single sound, but he does remember one time he felt like he was suffocating under it all, his tiny chest feeling tight and his face burning from the heat held within the mound of blankets; he had lifted the edge of an old dirty sheet near his head just enough that he didn’t think anyone would notice to let in some air that didn’t lick at his skin. He saw the bare feet of his mother standing next to his father, and a pair of large black boots that shook the ground when they moved, and a head of a metal bat resting on the floor next to them, shining in the artificial light. The memory gets blurry after that; the sound of the bat hitting something and his father yelling as he fell to the floor, his arms wrapped around his stomach, face contorted. The person in the heavy boots saying something about money as he left, Light’s mom on the floor next to his father.

His mom had pulled him out of the sheets shortly after his father had passed out on the mattress that smelled like a dumpster, a glass tube in his hand. She had pet Light’s hair, telling him he won the game they had been playing, and that he was such a good boy for following the rules.

They played that “game” whenever the heavy man visited. Now, Light knows he was probably a dealer coming for payment, but at least he got a useful skill from those moments. Not many people can be as perfectly silent and still as a statue, or had the patience to be that still for so long. Even birds seemed to miss him, sometimes landing on his knee or shoulder when he hid in trees, but even he felt his patience running thin as he sat in the cold, his lips numbing as he waited for L to leave. The alleyway across from the station shielded him from the autumn breeze, but the chill had started to chap his lips; Doctor Jones and her daughter had left two, maybe three hours ago, and so should have L, but there was no sight of him.

Once L, finally, walked out of the door of the building, Light watched from the shadows. L pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his ever-messy black hair and shoved his ungloved hands into the pockets, his form hunched over more than usual as he walked, his converse sneakers scuffing along the pavement.

Light made a note to look around for warmer clothes for L while he waited for the man to walk a little further ahead, just enough so that he wouldn't notice Light emerge from the alley.

As L walked ahead of him, Light sticking to the shadows as he followed, Light felt a smile creep on his face; he was basically walking his boyfriend home. The thought warmed his chest against the wind so much that he hardly noticed the nearly numb feeling nipping at the tip of his nose.

Light watched as L walked up the few porch steps and let himself in, turning on the foyer lights, allowing Light to more clearly see from his vantage point.

“Hey there, Mochi.” Light could faintly hear the heavenly voice of his angel, even as the man bent down, presumably to pet the animal that was undoubtedly rubbing against his jeans before the small form scampered down the porch stairs. L’s faint smile was hard to see, but Light could see the way the world lit around him. “I’ll be back in a minute, stay away from the cat next door.” L warned as the affectionate feline trotted in the grass before he stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

Light smiled, reaching down to rub the cats head as it approached him and began to paw at his knees. “Hey there, fella, taking care of your daddy for me?” The brown and cream colored animal purred. It was amusing to think that Mochi was responding to the question rather than just appreciative of the attention. Light picked up the animal, rising to his full height as he held the cat like a baby and pet the furry belly. “You know, soon I’ll be living with your daddy, and I’ll be your papa, too. Doesn't that sound nice? One happy little family. Maybe if you’re good, papa will buy you one of those cat trees.” Light smiled as the cat playfully pawed at his hand. He could see why L had chosen the animal for companionship over people.

The sound of a door opening drew Light’s eyes back to the porch; L stood in the archway, a pair of black sweatpants hung low on his narrow hips, and a t-shirt too thin for a chilled night like this haphazardly thrown on in a way that let a bit of L’s v-line peek out. Light smiled; L must have done that on purpose, knowing Light was out here but too shy to say anything. Maybe he wanted Light to stay over again?

“Mochi, here kitty kitty kitty!” L’s perfect voice called out. Light sat the cat on the ground and watched as the pet rushed back to L’s side, only to be picked up again and carried inside as the door shut behind L, the windows of the foyer going dark again. 

As midnight approached, Light silently crept into L’s room, letting his eyes find the faintest outline of L’s body and watching the tiniest movements before a pair of eyes reflected in the slivers of moonlight that shone through the blinds, a humming purr following. Light held his finger to his pursed lips, hoping the cat would stay in its place at the side of the mattress as he approached the bedside, and stared down at the sleeping form.

L’s hair was just as messy in his sleep as it was when he was awake, ebony strands falling into his pale face. Light slowly reached out, letting the tips of his fingers brush over the smooth skin as he pushed the unruly strings out of L’s face.

It pained Light to leave L, but he had already been here too long. He had work to do, plans to finish, and a stomach to fill. 

The worst part about being a killer wasn’t the effort, it wasn’t the careful planning, or the persona he had to put on for the public; only fools found that difficult. The worst part was cutting up the body. In Light’s case, it was easy; it was the same thing he did all day at work, but what made it the worst part was having to wash his plain black clothes every time he ran out of meat. It got tedious having to put so many loads of laundry in the washer. 

As Light carved the flesh of the forearm away, leaving the bone exposed behind the careful movements of his knife, he couldn't help but wonder if he would be able to mix his clothes with L’s once he moved in; L worked with the cops, specifically in forensics, so he probably came into contact with something that exposed blood stains, even after they were washed away. Sure he could say it was from work but there are tests to distinguish what species blood comes from, and blood from humans is different from the blood of cows, pigs, or anything he could realistically come into contact with in the shop.

Thinking back on it now, Cola is said to be useful in removing blood stains. Light makes a note to test the theory with his clothes with his Luminol. It should be interesting, though he’d rather spend the evening texting L. 

Speaking of L, Light still had to think of a way to get the man to let him move in. That couldn’t be easy; L liked being alone, he wouldn't want his space invaded. Shaking the thoughts away for now, Light looked over the body to make sure he’s gotten all the choice cuts, wipes his gloved hands on his jeans as she stands up and grabs his cooler, strolling over to the thermostat and turning up the heat to one hundred degrees so the body rots faster, just for fun and to annoy the cops, turns off the lights and locks the door behind him. 

  
  


A couple of days had passed since L had taken the sample to toxicology, and though Carol was irked that he had examined the stomach without her, she wasn’t too mad. She couldn’t be, considering he had noticed the tear patterns on the toe cuticles.

Currently, L and Carol were sitting at their respective desks while Arma sorted files that needed stored. L chewed the sea salt taffy into a comfortable position in his mouth, his eyes reading newspapers of a neighboring town that had a string of similar killings when the door slammed open, Charlie’s face stern and papers in his hands.

Carol had flinched at the boom of the door meeting the wall, Arma had outright jumped, but L barely looked in the direction of the door; he was used to sudden loud noises, such as the slamming of doors, yelling, screaming, glass shattering. Even an occasional smack of the back of a large, firm hand meeting the soft flesh of a cheek in a silence comparable to that of an unoccupied house that lay long forgotten.

“Is it possible that you sent in the wrong fingerprints?” Charlie urged.

“Though the answer is unlikely, less than a million-to-one chance, no matter what you’re referring to, I’d still like to know the context of your question.” L’s eyes remained locked on his screen, the glow highlighting the dark circles under his eyes.

“When you were trying to get an ID on Shawn’s body, you tried taking fingerprints to see if he was in the system.”

“That is correct. And there were no matches.”

“Still, is it possible that the prints were mislabeled or mixed up with another set?” 

“His were the only prints we’ve had to take for months.” Carol explained. “What is this about? Was he misidentified?”

“No.” Charlie unfolded one of the papers he had in his hands as he approached Carol and showed it to her, “You’re sure this is the print taken from him?” L could see his boss nodding in his peripheral vision. “L, look.”

Irritatedly, L looked up at the paper held in front of his face. “Yes, Clarlie, that’s the print taken from Shawn Kissinger. I assisted Carol in it’s collection myself.” L’s eyes quickly turned back to the monitor but was quickly taken away.

“Well his prints were found of the knife that killed Gabriella Mayes.”

L’s eyes shot up to Charlie’s face, searching for a sign of deceit but he knew he wouldn’t find anything. Charlie Daniels didn’t lie and he didn’t play jokes. “That’s impossible; he’s been dead longer than Miss. Mayes and she was only dead for no more than two days before we found her.” Charlie held the second paper out next to the first one; the prints were identical.

“Does he have a twin brother?” Arma asked.

“Identical twins, while the prints are similar, don't have identical fingerprints.” L clarified, his large eyes now fixed on the papers until Carol snatched them from Charlie’s hands. “We never did find one hand; it must have been taken by the person who killed them.”

“That’s the only explanation we have. So we’re back to square one.”

“Not yet.” L swallowed the sweet that had been melting on his tongue before reaching into his desk drawer and unwrapping a butterscotch disk, casually popping it in his mouth. “I sent a sample to the toxicology lab of what I believe to be food in Miss Mayes stomach. Once it’s identified we can put her to a location before death and work our way backwards from there. I’m expecting the results any minute now.”

A brief beat passed where Charlie’s eyes widened before he nodded his head slightly as if the information was just now processing. “Call me immediately when you get the results.”

L gave a mock salute as he swiveled his chair back around to his desk, pulling his shoes up to rest on the edge as he returned to reading. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. I'm sorry this took so long to write; I think I had some burnout and it was having negative effects on my mental health. But I'm on a new medication that's working better than the one I was previously on, I'm feeling better and I'm writing again. Updates will resume and I can't thank you enough for being patient and still leaving comments, it really helped be get through a difficult time.  
You're all amazing!


	20. Vulnerability, Contradictions and Statistics

L re-read the email from toxicology for what felt like the millionth time, the words not registering in his mind. Rubbing his eyes, dry from staring at the bright glow of his screen all night, L tried reading the words again. Perhaps the dryness had them playing tricks on him? When the words didn’t change, L could practically feel his mind reeling as he ran his hands through his perpetually messy hair.

The pale man wasn't sure if it was a blessing or a curse when his phone rang, the screen lighting up with the name of his partner. Charlie never called for a social checkup, so it wasn't hard to figure out why he would be ringing him at five in the morning. Reluctantly, L swiped the screen to answer and held the phone between his index finger and thumb.

“I take it Harvester has claimed another victim?” 

“Don’t be a smartass.” Charlie reprimanded.

“It’s a fair guess.”

Charlie didn’t hide his irritation as he told L the address he was needed at. L supposed the address would have concerned most people in his situation, but honestly it was convenient. After pulling on some clothes, a quick attempt to brush his hair, and brushing his teeth, L left his home, his sneakers the only sound in the darkness illuminated by the dull orange glow of the streetlights.

  
  
  


Light said goodbye to the officer he had stopped to talk to during his morning jog, pulling the hood of his jacket over his face; the sun wasn’t even up yet but it looked as though the entire block was. A group of neighbors, all still clad in their pajamas and robes crowded the dark sidewalk, standing as close to the police tape as they could get, some letting Light pass through to continue his run and some talking to officers, demanding answers. Light had planned this; the location of his most recent kill wasn’t far from L’s house, and of course because of his job, L would have to be at the scene, thus giving Light an opportunity to spend some time in what would be his new home, and once he passed the mess of black hair and the sound of trudging steps faded in the distance, he knew his opportunity was now.

  
  


If there was one useful thing Light learned from the man who sired him, it was how to pick locks. When most four year olds were watching Sesame Street and learning how to count with bright colorful puppets, Light was learning how to pick a lock with a credit card taken out under a fake name and a screwdriver. Of course he’d since been able to afford a real lock picking kit and used the skill to do more than steal whatever looked valuable or shiny to be sold for money that rarely went to basic necessities, but still the bastard had been useful for something.

Normally Light would have been fine with sneaking about in the dark while L slept but the man hadn’t been doing much of that lately and was busy with work all night if the focused expression illuminated by his laptop into the wee hours of the morning were anything to go by. Honestly this situation was a win-win; L had something to do in the morgue, Light had meat and an opportunity to move about the house freely without fear of L waking up and finding him.

In Light’s opinion, the rooms that told you the most about a person were the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. The kitchen he had spent plenty of time in with L, personally he was looking forward to using that room the most. He’d make L meals with real food, not just sugar.

A quick stop by the bathroom, just to smell L’s shampoo and soap since they hadn’t been together for a couple of days, and peek in the medicine cabinet; nothing unusual except a nearly empty bottle of eyedrops. Just as he was about to leave, Light paused at the sight of L’s toothbrush. Curious, Light took the item from its protective cap and ran his thumb over the bristles, his lips twitching a little when he found them still wet.

Normally, Light was smarter than this. Leaving nothing behind, especially DNA, was crucial, but he wasn’t currently planning on killing L, and it had been so long since their last kiss.

Light popped the brush in his mouth, letting soft bristles tickle his cheeks and tongue as he worked it like it was a lollipop. The taste was mostly mint but underneath he could catch a hint of the heavenly flavor of L’s mouth. Light, though unhappy that he had to, put the brush back in its cap and left it in the cabinet when he left the bathroom, instead taking some stray hairs from L’s brush and putting them in his pocket. 

If Light had to guess, L hadn’t changed his room much since he was a teenager; the glass display cases of bugs were covered in a thick layer of dust, the furniture had signs of wear and tear, even the plain white paint looked a bit aged.

Though he wasn’t looking for anything particular, Light was just trying to learn more about the object of his desires. Nothing really stood out but Light flipped through some pages of books, a few had notes critiquing the author written on the pages. It wasn’t hard to imagine L was the teacher's pet in school, quiet and reserved. Even now, Light searched an old yearbook that had been on the bookshelf, looking for an image of the man in highschool. He somehow both blended in with nothingness and stood out against the smiles of his classmates. Continuing to look through the pages, there were no clubs L was a part of, no extracurricular activities, no images of him in the background even. Just his class photo; no smile, his hair shorter but still messy, dark circles still under his eyes. No signatures either. A loner? Honestly Light should have expected as much. The man was a shut in.

Putting the book away, Light turned to the bed, his eyes examining it though he did feel his lips stretch into a grin when he thought of the activity he and L had done on it. It was fine for a night, but not big enough for a couple that lived together. Glancing around the room, Light noted that a proper bed wouldn’t fit unless they wanted to awkwardly stumble around each other. Light bit his lip, mentally trying to rearrange the furniture so they could have a proper bed and room to walk. Light was adamant that the bed stay against the window so any passers by would see Light claiming L in the mosto primal way. Though the thought of someone else seeing his angel’s face contorted in pleasure, a sheen of sweat covering his lithe body as he cried out for Light did make him want to take anyone perverted enough to look and tear them limb from limb, but that man not be a problem; no matter what he mentally moved there was no way for everything to fit in the room.

Light exited the room and moved into the empty bedroom on the other side, looking over the shared wall and contemplating if he could renovate to make the used bedroom bigger when the door across the hall caught his eye. 

Light had briefly stepped in there during his first visit while L was asleep, but didn’t get much of a look in the dark, afraid to wake L or alert the neighbors by turning on the lights, but seeing as L was at work, it was a good moment to properly inspect it.

The door was unlocked, so L probably didn’t want to use the room for himself, but Light would convince him.

The middle of walls had the same crown molding as the ceiling, the top half painted like a coffee with lots of creamer mixed in, though it probably was called ‘spruce’ when the paint was bought, the bottom half a rustic oak color. 

The hardwood floor probably shined if it were swept; clearly L didn’t come in here, even to clean. He’d have to find a way to bring it up.

Looking at the beautiful wooden furniture, it was clear all of it were antiques. Would L want to keep any of it?

The bookshelves to his immediate left were large with intricately carved details, though the books were nothing special. The window between them was covered by a thick curtain that matched the color scheme of the room, letting no light in or out. No wonder he hadn’t seen it in the dark, even with moonlight. Stepping further into the room, Light paused at the left bedside table. There was only a stained glass lamp on top of it, and a quick peek inside revealed a silver flask that reeked of long forgotten booze, and some legal pads and pens. Definitely the father’s side. Light couldn’t remember the name though; L mentioned his parents so little, particularly his father, that he couldn’t remember the man’s name. Though he did remember the mother; Lucille. 

Lucille’s table had a matching lamp on top, and a picture frame of L as a child, a wallet sized photo of a pale newborn with messy black hair neatly placed in the bottom corner behind the glass as well. Inside the drawer was some knitting needles and wool; a cute hobby.

Continuing his search, Light found that all the clothes of L’s parents were still hanging in the walk-in closet, all of their personal products were still in place on the counter of the double sinks. 

Making a note of finding a casual way to bring this up to L, Light decided he would have to convince his love to move in here.

Shoving his hand in his pocket, the hairs from L’s brush tickled his fingertips as he decided he needed to leave. He had to make plans for the evening; L didn’t know it yet, but they had a date tonight. 

  
  
  


L was used to the small of death, literally. The dead emitted a certain stench of rotting flesh, feces, mothballs, rotten eggs, cabbage, and garlic. The mask over his face didn’t help block out or lessen the smell either. He could even taste the metallic scent in the air from all the blood on the floor.

Someone begged Charlie to open a window, but the man refused, insisting that doing so could compromise the scene before turning back to L.

“Can you get a time of death? Even a guesstimate?”

“Not really.” L shook his head. “Normal heat already speeds up the decomposing process, but you said the thermostat was set to a really high temperature and all the doors and windows were closed; that created an oven-like effect and accelerated decomposition too much to get a time of death, even a guess. It could be anywhere between two days or two months. But at least we know it was Harvester by the missing organs and muscle.”

“So I have fuck-all here?”

“That’s essentially what I said, yes.”

Charlie rolled his eyes with a frustrated huff before walking off to do something L didn’t care about.

  
  


The autopsy that afternoon had been brief; Charlie had gotten a name from pictures around the house and an ID card, and with the decomp the best L and Carol had been able to do was identify what parts were taken from the body. After one of the dieners had gotten sick in Carol’s wastebasket, Charlie insisted that the lab take the afternoon off. L had tried to insist he could stay and collect samples but Charlie insisted, and Carol threatened to drag L out by the ear if he didn’t go willingly.

And so, essentially kicked out of his office, L wandered around the main street, glancing in shoppe windows as he passed by, but stopped when he came across a bookstore. After a brief debate on going in, L convinced himself to browse the shelves since he had read every book in the house more than twice over and could use some new material.

A small bell rang as he entered, the chill of the autumn air sealed away behind the door and the warmth of the store enveloping him as he leisurely strolled down the large shelves, eyes scanning for a book that caught his attention.

By the time he had a few books of his usual genres in his hands, L stood still in the middle of an aisle, his eyes fixed on the sign above that announced the type of writing the section was dedicated to. It was only a sign but it felt daunting and made L feel like he wanted to shrink back into his hoodie and his stomach felt like it was full of rocks.

Just as he was about to back away from the aisle, a man in a forest green collared shirt and tan slacks approached, a smile on his face that reached his glasses. 

“Can I help you find anything?” 

“I, uh,” L shifted his weight uncomfortably, eyes glued to his worn converse shoes, “do you have books on relationships? Romantic ones. How they work.”

The attendant nodded, his short neatly kept light red beard shining blondish as he led L down the aisle, suggesting a few different ones before L thanked him and he walked away to help a woman at the counter.

L looked over the books, and they all sounded the same yet different in a way L couldn’t identify. Deciding to just grab all three, arranging the growing stack in his arms according to size, but paused when he felt a weight on his back. Looking over his shoulder, L expected another worker to be there, too eager to help and chipper, but found that he was alone. Shrugging it off as being about ready to leave, L was about to turn and head to check out but his eyes caught another sign that made his pale cheeks burn. 

Romance and Erotica.

L stared at the sign for a moment, the heat in his cheeks burning as he looked to the sides to make sure no one saw him like a sneaky child before quickly moving in. 

_ Okay, I’m in the aisle. It’s no different than any other. I’m just browsing. _ L repeated this thought to himself as he looked over the names on spines and provocative covers which made the warmth from his cheeks spread to his neck and tips of his ears.

Sure, he had seen his mother reading romantic novels when he was younger, though he could still see the disgusted look on his father's face any time he saw her reading one; nose scrunched up like it had been assaulted by a wretched reek and lips curled. Liam had told her that those books were nothing but smut, nothing of literary value. Mind rot. She would then put them aside, and get something else from one of the shelves, sitting back down to read as her husband watched her, like he was making sure she was really reading it.

L had even swiped one of the books, hidden it under his bed with a flashlight and tried reading it once. He didn’t care for it, but the cover was interesting to him. A strong, handsome man in a ripped shirt held a woman in his arms, their eyes locked together and faces so close they were nearly kissing.

L especially liked the cover when he placed his hand over the woman, leaving only the man visible. It had made his stomach light and fluttery, and his loins twitched in his pajamas, before the disgusted barking voice of his father echoed in his head. Nothing but smut. No literary value. Filth.

L had a sick feeling for the entire night, not sleeping a wink so he was able to get up before his parents so he could put the book back the next morning.

The memories faded form L’s mind as he swallowed down the shame that had crept up in him; he was an adult now. Sex and curiousity were normal. Still, he couldn’t help the slight tremble in his hands as he reached for a book for LGBT+ sex educaation for adults. A rarity to find.

Another quick glance around, L read the back of the book and table of contents; it seemed pretty inclusive and a brief flip through the pages revealed it also had a few sex position illustrations for same sex partners. Though the figures were featureless, it still felt like he was intruding on something private.

Lip bitten, L was about to add it to his stack of purchases and go to the counter, but a split last second decision and cold feet had him placing the book back in a random spot as he approached the counter.

A new wave of shame flooded his chest as he watched the clerk from before scan his books and place them in a bag; he couldn’t even buy a stupid book to learn. He was pathetic, and that thought physically weighed on his shoulders so much they sagged more than usual on his walk home. 

  
  


The evening quickly approached, and L had settled in with a plate of cake as he started to turn on his laptop when the doorbell rang, the sound jarring in contrast to the still silence of his house.

Kicking off the blanket he had thrown over his legs and setting the plate on the coffee table, L moved to the foyer, standing on his toes to check the peephole, and smiled when a familiar face stood on the other side.

L faintly smiled as he opened the door before being ambushed.

“Oh thank God!” Light enveloped L in his arms, warmth surrounding him despite the cool air cutting through his old pajamas.

“Um, hello Light.” L awkwardly stiffened slightly, despite the growing familiarity with such touch.

“Shit, sorry.” Light let go, and the air felt even colder now that he had let go. “I heard there was a body found on your street and since I hadn’t heard from you in a couple of days I...I thought the worst,”

“You were worried about me?” L raised a single black eyebrow.

“Of course I was.”

A soft silence fell over them, L shifting slightly as he bit his lip before speaking. “‘Would you like to come in for coffee?”

“I don’t really like coffee.” Light gave a teasing smirk.

“Neither do I.” L’s lips turned up into his shy smile.

  
  


“So you’re basically a detective now?” Light asked.

“Temporarily.” L clarified. The two men had settled in on the couch, L insisting on explaining why his phone had gone unnoticed despite Light insisting that he was just happy that L was okay.

“It’s still cool.” Light shrugged. He looked like he was about to say something, but the words didn’t come. Instead, he shifted a little closer and placed a gentle hand on L’s knee before amber eyes met coal. “L, I was wondering, since we’ve been dating for a bit,” Light paused, clearly searching his mind for words but the silence made L’s heart freeze in his tightening chest, “I’d like to be your boyfriend, officially. If you feel ready for that?”

L’s eyes widened, his heart going from frozen in place to beating like a wild bird fighting to escape a cage, words failed the man so much so all he could do was nod.

The brief glimpse of Light’s smile looked relieved and happy before L was once again engulfed in arms that held him to a firm chest, ear pressed against just the right spot to hear the rhythmic thumping in the other man's chest, leading him into relaxing in the embrace. 

This felt nice. Light, his boyfriend, was hugging him. L felt his eyes growing heavy, so much so that he almost missed the slight shift against him until Light spoke again.

“You’re renovating?”

_ Huh? _

L looked up to Light’s face and followed his eyes to the coffee table; beside the cake he had set aside, the catalogs Carol had given L were still there, forgotten and covered in a light layer of dust. “Oh, I was thinking about it a while ago. But it’s too big of a project for me and contractors are expensive, so.” L waved it off.

“Well what was it? I’ve flipped houses before and you wouldn’t have to pay me.”

L tried to drop the subject but ultimately gave up when Light pinned him to the couch, teasing that he wouldn’t let him up until L told him.

“I’ll show you.” L tried to smile, but after such a playful moment it felt more forced that usual. Light followed him down the small hallway connected to the family room and stopped at the door on the left, his fist raising to knock before he stopped himself and opened the door, flicking on the light switch. Stepping over the threshold without knocking felt like trespassing, despite being the owner of the house now.

“This was my father’s office.” L explained as he and Light entered the room.

“Everything looks good,” Light commented, “no flickering lights, no squeaking floors, it all looks good. Why not just move the stuff out?”

L felt his shoulders sag as he leaned his back against the wall. “It’s silly.”

“Come on, I won’t laugh. Promise.” Light took L’s hand in both of his, eyes soft as they fixed on him.

“Liam spent most of his time in here,” L bit his lip as he looked down at their joined hands, “and I hate this room. Maybe if we get drunk I’ll explain it to you, but just not right now, okay?”

“Understood.” Light placed a soft kiss on L’s forehead, his free hand carding through the messy black strands. “C’mon, I think I was offered coffee.” 

L was all too eager to leave the office, even if he had to drink coffee for it.

  
  


Light’s lips were soft and gentle in how they worked L’s; never rough enough to make it feel like he wasn’t in control but led L to take action, encouraging him to do what felt right.

It soothed the strange feeling in L’s chest, a mess of embarrassment and need that built up the longer he touched himself, Light laying next to his side and working himself as well.

L wanted to close his eyes and turn away, but everytime he was about to give in, L would whisper sweet nothings into his ear, praises flowing from his lips as easily as breathing.

The words made shivers run down L’s arching back, flustered noises escaping the back of his throat.

That need that had been growing since they started continued to bloom, desire becoming desperation as Light teased L’s ear with his teeth and words, and L’s breath shuddered as he let his free hand rest on Light’s leg, his hand slowly moving closer as he waited for a sign that Light wanted him to stop, but instead Light encouraged him, even when L’s fingers traced over his moving fist and traced across the pearls that leaked from the head.

Even with the awkward and unsure movements of L’s hand, Light still praised him, kissed him, and encouraged him. There were whispered instructions,  _ “A little tighter.” “Faster.” “Try flicking your wrist as you stroke.”  _ All had been followed up with a pleasured noise, a twitch of the hips, or a harsh gasp as Light arched his back before it fell back into the sheets. 

L could feel Light’s own hand sliding towards his erection, forgotten in his focus on the gorgeous man next to him.

The first graze of strange fingers touching such a place made his cock twitch, but Light’s hand slowly worked him, sure movements and skilled hands had L both begging to reach climax and hoping this would never end.

In this moment, L let himself just be, finally his mind had shut off and let him feel, react without worry. Nothing but Light and himself existed, and it was perfect until Light suddenly stopped stroking L and held the snowy hand still, his eyes, still nearly black and hooded with arousal, turned to L’s.

“I want to touch both of us, together. Would you mind?”

L’s eternally easy black hair stuck to his glistening brow as he rapidly nodded, wanting whatever Light was willing to do.

Light shifted them both onto their sides, facing each other and watched L’s reaction when he held their differing lengths together in his palm between them, an amused smirk crossing his lips when L softly gasped and pushed himself closer. Once Light started stroking his hand over their cocks, L rejoined their lips and moaned into his partner’s mouth, which Light used as an opportunity to reintroduce his tongue to L’s.

Light’s stomach visibly tensed, muscles constricting and highlighted beneath the skin as his hand movements briefly faltered and his grip tightened. L pulled Light into a desperate kiss as his own body began to tremble, toes curling against the disheveled comforter as they mutually climaxed, moans exchanged between mouths and semen mixing on their stomachs.

Slowly, panting turned back to breathing, sweat cooled against their bodies,and the frantic makeout turned into tender kisses. 

L finally thought of the word being like this with Light made him feel; vulnerable. Not the heavy kind that weighed him down as a child living with Liam, but a softer version. One where he could let go and not worry about upsetting someone with just his existence.

It felt safe being vulnerable with Light, so much so he let his eyes drift shut as exhaustion and post orgasmic bliss overcame him.

  
  


L shuffled into the room Charlie had set up for the investigation, papers clutched in his long pale fingers as he stopped in front of Charlie’s desk.

“I got an email from toxicology.” L blandly announced.

“Okay,” his shoulders rose and fell quickly, “anything interesting?” He probably didn’t think there would be anything useful, but even L hadn’t been prepared for what he had read.

Handing the papers over to the officer, L waited a second, debating on if he should let the man read the notes or just tell him. L went with the ladder.

“The organic material in Miss Mayes stomach that I had tested was human flesh. I sent it into forensic analysis with a DNA sample from Shawn Kissinger, and it’s a match.”

Charlie looked up to meet L’s eyes, a strange look on his face like he wasn’t processing what L had just told him.

“So, she ate her boyfriend while he was killing her?”

“No. Kissinger was already dead long before Mayes was found. Plus the flesh was cooked and had no signs of rot. Timeline wise, she killed him, was cooking and eating him, and very shortly after her most recent meal, Kissinger killed Mayes.” L explained. “And it explains why we never found Kisinger’s missing hand.”

The older man shook his head and set the papers down on his desk. “That’s impossible, the events contradict themselves.”

“Do you doubt my work?”

“No,” Charlie softly shook his head, “I just think we live in the twilight zone.”

“I do have a theory on how this is possible, if you are interested in hearing it.” Charlie nodded, as exhaustion took over his features. “I believe this was staged by a third party; like you said, the timeline and events contradict each other, but not if someone was puppeteering the events, setting everything up to look impossible.”

The older man leaned back in his rolling chair, his eyes staring off to the side for a moment like he was considering the theory. “Why would someone do that, though?”

“There’s several possible reasons; to tease to police, prove that they’re incompetent, their own amusement, to see it they could really solve it, the list goes on. Though if you want to narrow down that list, you would want to consult with a criminal profiler or possibly a criminal psychologist.”

“So they’re fucking with us?”

“Yes.”

Charlie rubbed his hands over his face as he groaned. “So we have a serial killer and someone who wants to play games? Great.”

“It is possible it’s the same person.”

“What makes you say that?”

“There are always serial killers present in society, and while researching the possibilities of multiple killers in one place I found that the FBI estimates that there are twenty-five to fifty serial killers throughout the United States at any given moment. Such a low number and we have a known killer somewhere here, now a double homicide, it’s possible it’s the same culprit. A killer's signature evolves and changes over time and with every kill, sometimes changed on purpose to throw off a trail.”

“But this case is a double homicide, not a serial killing. As of now it’s just hearsay, no evidence, just numbers.”

“Everything is numbers and statistics.”

“Not in courts, L.” Charlie sighed.


	21. Angels, Ghosts, Liars.

Light remembered the first time he had seen an angel.

He was small, still too young to understand why he was living with strangers, but the foster parents whose faces he couldn't even remember had religious imagery all over their home; paintings of Jesus were everywhere, crosses hung over doorways, creepy little statues of saints on shelves.

The woman had told him the saints watched over him as he slept, but it didn't soothe the paralyzing confusion that had taken over him. He wanted to break all of the ugly little things, except for one; a pale porcelain figure of a woman in a dress with gold bird wings coming from her back, a harp on her hand and a halo over her hair. The mother had caught him staring at it and smiled as she brought it down from it's shelf and held it in her hands to show him.

"This is an angel." she had explained. When Light had asked what that was, she continued. "An angel is a person who brings good to the world, makes it a little brighter. Protects those who need it." She then put the figure back before telling Light stories from the children's bible about angels helping children, but he didn't pay attention to it. His eyes were still fixed on the statue, but something about the figure had changed in his mind. He liked looking at it, but now he wanted to break that figure the most.

That had been the first time Light had seen an angel, but now he was in bed next to one, watching it sleep and slightly drool on it's pillow. It was nothing like the statue had been; the hair was dark and messy, permanent dark circles under its eyes, no halo, harp, or wings.

He still wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to keep it safe, or break it into a million tiny pieces, or which would be more satisfying.

The progress in L’s sexuality hadn’t been planned, really there had been no plan of physical intimacy tonight, it just happened to work out that way. Light originally thought L would pass out on the couch, but this was nice, too. It still worked out in his favor. In his moments of watching L, Light noticed a brown leather messenger bag L took to work every day. He hadn’t had a chance to look through it before, but this was perfect.

Slowly sliding from the sheets, though reluctant to leave L alone, Light rose from the bed, not bothering to pull on any of the discarded clothes he and L had pulled off on their way to bed. Even underwear seemed pointless, mostly since he couldn’t find them as he walked through the hall, when a thought occurred to him; if there happened to be a late night jogger passing a window at the same time he was, they would know that L was his. Now, Light didn’t care to keep looking for his underpants; he wanted people to see him walking though his boyfriend’s house in the middle of the night, naked. Any sense of clothing or modesty forgotten, Light tiptoed down the stairs, going directly to L’s work bag and began to rifle through whatever he could. The laptop was password protected, and very well, too. It wasn’t his birthday, the cat’s name, or the name of his obscure hobby. Light actually felt proud of his boyfriend for not using such an easy password. Setting the laptop aside, Light looked through some more papers that were useless but paused when he found a small notebook tucked between them.

Pulling it out, Light turned on the table lamp as he sat on the couch and flipped through a few pages; pausing when he found some notes related to his work. Most of it was normal, but the little notes L left off to the sides was interesting;  _ “must have some sort of knowledge, practice, or connection to crime scene investigators. Scenes are too clean after such bloody deaths.” _

Well, he’s not wrong. Even before L, Light did have a connection to the cop. Maybe he could tell him about it someday? Those were some of his few fond memories. Making a note to possibly tell L about the one good foster family he was in, Light continued to look through the pages.

It was clear L was keenly observant; a perfect detective. Even the half noted theories he had written down, though wrong, did make sense, but guessing by the lines scratched through them L realized he had been mistaken. The only thing that made Light raise an eyebrow was the name someone had given him; _ Harvester? _ Pursing his lips in thought, Light knew they weren’t technically wrong, he was taking parts of the bodies, but the name seemed off. Not quite right. Shaking his head, Light decided to think about this later.

It took a bit to get to the puzzle he had made for L; in the notes there was a timeline that was impossible, just like planned, a few notes on the two victims, but nothing that was actually related.  _ Speaking of those two, what were their names again? Scott and...something. Doesn't matter. _ But a theory that hadn’t been scratched out was that this was the beginning of another killer. A wicked smile crept on Light’s face as a plan hatched in his mind, twisted, cruel, and soaked in blood.

  
  


A week had passed since Light came up with his plan, but he hadn’t yet put it into motion, though not for a lack of trying. People had grown more cautious since he started killing again, getting in before dark, walking in pairs or groups if they had to be out after sunset, locking their doors and windows at night, some had even installed motion activated flood lights outside of their homes. But, of course, with every single person who was cautious, there was also a person who thought that the bad things you hear about on the news could never happen to them. 

Waiting for the news of his most recent slaying made Light more eager to help and serve customers, a pleasant tight feeling in the center of his chest as he strained to listen to private conversations for any tidbits of information but internally rolled his eyes when it was normal gossip. Deciding he could ask the most gossipy person if there was anything new she heard, Light finished wiping down the counter and went into the back, looking for a sign of his coworker.

The walk-in freezer bit at the tip of his nose, the cold air turning his breath to a cloud as he listened to the sound of sniffling and...weeping?

Following the sound, careful to move as quietly as he could, the huffed breathing and sobbing belonging to Leeanne was confirmed when he found her in a back corner, sitting on one of the small wooden stools, bent over resting her arms on her knees and cradling her head between them.

“Leeanne?”  A pale face, cheeks and nose pink from the cold and framed in messy deep red hair shot up from the cocoon made by limbs, green eyes dull and listless. “Oh, hey,” she pulled herself up, hands smoothing down her black pants, “what’s up?” she gave a smile that almost looked real, but it didn’t reach her eyes.  “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” the woman nodded, “I just haven't slept well; sisters pullout couch and all that, ya know? I’m just tired. Thought I could come back here and rest my head for a couple of minutes.”

_Liar!_ Light knows that tone, that look; his mother had it a lot. “Yeah, I get it. Those things aren’t very comfortable.” Leeanne continued to chatter as she led them out of the freezer, but her voice wasn’t as chipper, she didn’t practically bounce in place and her eyes remained dull. With an internal sigh, Light guessed he could check up on her home life, but she didn’t need to know that.

  
  


L bit his thumb as he stared at the renovation book displayed against his knees, the pictured rooms full of natural lighting, making even the neutral colors feel warm and inviting. The carpeting looked so plush he couldn't help but think of walking his bare feet on it, his toes curling on the couch as he let himself imagine it.

One glance down the short hallway made those fantasies fall away. It may have been his house now, but that wasn't his office. Even in death, Liam still ruled this place so much so that a heavy weight had settled into L’s chest. L could imagine his fathers ghost standing in the hallway, arms crossed and standing tall, permanent disdainful scowl on his face as his eyes bore through L’s body. 

L rested his forehead on his knees, the edges of the book unpleasantly pushing against his brow, as his messy black locks shielded his face, and his hands locked around his legs. Eyes closed, L felt like he was waiting for his father’s deep voice to call for him, be it in a booming yell, or a flat but demanding tone. Both had been equally terrifying, enough to make anyone, especially himself, feel petrified. L had felt his body turn to stone when his father called for him, but fear of what would happen if he didn’t move made his body move without him realizing it, like he had been hypnotized or some kind of dormant survival instinct had activated in fear of what would happen if it didn’t. 

Brushing and weak nudging against his side brought L back to the present. Raising his head, L found Mochi at his side, large eyes staring up at him followed by a meow and a firm rub of his cheek on L’s leg. Long, pale fingers began to stroke over the cats back, receiving a soft purring in return, the repetitive motions and gentle sounds easing the knot that had formed in L’s chest. He was okay; Liam was long dead, grave forgotten and probably overgrown with unkempt weeds and grass. 

Setting the book of happier looking rooms and homes aside, L pulled his companion up to him and kissed the top of his small, fuzzy head and scratched under his chin, more grateful than ever to have adopted him.

  
  


Light tread lightly along the dirt paths of the mobile homes, each one leading to a different home. He didn't let the darkened windows and closed curtains fool him, though; he stayed low in the shadows of the trees, moving quietly and quickly towards his target.

Leeanne’s trailer looked more or less the same from the last time he was here; the rest of the small house was dark, save for the one lit window. The sheer curtains allowed him to make out the two figures sitting by the window; one was Leeanne, the other was most likely her sister, considering they looked about the same age, the outlines of their noses and chins a similar shape. They appeared to be talking, and by the way Leeanne rubbed at her forehead, it wasn’t pleasant. Light moved a little closer, just under the window, surprised that he could hear them so easily. Glancing up to see if they had left the window cracked open but finding it sealed shut, Light guessed the walls were thin. Leeanne has a kid, doesn’t she? Andy? If the walls were thin enough for him to hear them talking, are they even properly insulated? It was cold out at night, so was he sleeping with a heater? Extra blankets? Shaking the thought for now, Light listened in on Leeanne.

“Have you tried telling the cops?” 

“You know how they are,” Leeanne shook her head, “they say they can’t arrest someone for calling me.”

“But he’s harassing you!” Leeanne’s sister sat back against the wall, “practically threatening you. And Andy.”

“And they don’t care about people like me. Come on, how many times did I or someone else call them and they left thinking I was overreacting or that it was a false alarm? How many times did I smile and, and say I was okay and that the noise was from the TV? They’re practically on a first name basis with me at this point. The most they do now is say I can file a report and send me on my way.

You know what they probably think, now? I’m an overeating hysterical, trashy single mom who might be on drugs, gets food stamps despite having a job, and lives in a shitty trailer with her sister and son who she had out of wedlock.” Leeanne sighed deeply and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, you’re right; this place is a dump.” The sister tried to lighten the mood.

“My point is, they don’t help people like me. They think I’m crazy and, let’s face it, won’t do a damn thing until I turn up dead.”

“You know I won’t let that happen to you.” 

“Lisa, I appreciate you doing all you have for me and Andy, but there’s only so much you can do. Look, I’ll try to scrape together the money to change the phone number, maybe get a caller ID, but please, let me try to protect myself for once in my life, okay?” 

Leeanne’s sister sounded reluctant but agreed, but insisted that she be told if it got out worse. Light sighed quietly and rubbed his own head; it seemed like no matter where you were, the police were useless, no matter if it was a struggling single mom or a terrified four year old who called.

Light slinked away from the window; he had all he needed for now. Pausing by one of the windows, the sheer curtains were parted just enough and the light coming from under the door were both perfectly just so that he could see inside; it must have been Andy’s room; baseball posters hung on the wood paneling, a few books and toys on a shelf and floor, and a duffel bag next to a baseball helmet and bat rested against the dresser. Light had been right; the kid was sleeping with what looked like extra blankets, plus a small heater near the bed.

The door across from the bed opened, just enough that Leeanne could squeeze through and avoid possibly waking her son. Light ducked down for a moment, listening for a sign that he had been spotted, but when only silence greeted him, he carefully peeked over the window ledge. Leeanne moved almost as quietly as Light, her finger bare of her usual mess of rings and jingley bracelets and she stroked her son’s hair out of his face and pulled the covers up over him some more before leaning down, pressing her unpainted lips to his brow, smiling at him as she left the room, the door quietly closing behind her, and the light under the door becoming darkness.

Light’s heart felt tight, a knot forming in his throat and his jaw tightening as he stood for a moment. Wiping his eyes and shoving his hands in his pockets, he scurried away from the trailer and began his walk home. 


End file.
